You're family, aren't you?
by Andromeda of Othrys
Summary: Persephone Amphitrite Jackson. Hades wanted to hate his niece for even being born, but how could he hate her when she bore his wife's name and called him family to his face? Fem!Percy & Hades. Now a series of interconnected one-shots. 1/19/2019 - little clean-up of the chapters.
1. Uncle-niece chat time

**_Okay, I so didn't want to write this, but I got suckered into fem!Percy/Hades and fem!Percy &Hades stories, and I had to get this thing out of my head. It's a one-shot for now, but depending on my muse, the general response and uni demands, I might expand this._**

 **Pairing: fem!Percy & Hades (platonic - for now!)  
**

* * *

 _Persephone Amphitrite Jackson._

Hades frowned as he read the name of the hero Alecto had identified as the potential child of Poseidon and the thief of his Helm.

What was he supposed to do now? He had been expecting the boy with some degree of resemblance to his favorite brother – but a girl? Poseidon never had a mortal daughter before: a scant few immortal daughters like Kympoleia and Rhode, but a mortal?

The added trouble was the guilt Hades knew he would feel if he hurt his niece. No matter what, Poseidon and Hestia had always valued family bonds, and his little brother gave his damn best to include Hades into the family. He hadn't failed to notice how Poseidon seemed to target Hades specifically on the Winter Solstice councils to provoke a reaction out of his older brother and drag him into the conversation. To hurt his child, even if she was born out of the breach of the sacred oath, would feel like a betrayal, and if there was one thing Hades detested, it was a betrayal.

To make things worse, the girl bore the name of his dear wife and her father's wife. _Persephone Amphitrite_. Hades couldn't help but feel reluctantly impressed by the lover Poseidon had chosen: she must've been either a clear-sighted one, or Poseidon trusted her enough to reveal his true identity. Whichever was the truth, the result was the same: little demigoddess' first name protected her against the excessive wrath of the monsters allied with Underworld and endeared her to her uncle, and the second name would hopefully pacify the enraged Queen of the Seas when she hears about her husband's newest bastard.

 _Persephone Jackson._

The name would not leave him alone, teasing him in his wife's absence and calling up the image of his wife overlaid with his brother's intense green eyes instead of Persephone's soft blues. For the first time in centuries, Hades decided to check on a mortal that was not his child of his former lover. He needed to get the image of the child and, hopefully, get her out of his head before she had time to root herself there too deeply. Hades was no one's fool, he knew his weaknesses, and beautiful women were one of them.

The worst part was, no one could deny the fact his brother's children were show-stoppers, with their inky black hair and intense green eyes, and Persephone Jackson promised to be just like her half-siblings: both powerful and beautiful beyond all mortal standards.

Waving his hand, he summoned the rainbow and tossed one of the many drachmas littering his office, mentally calling upon assistance from Iris. _Iris, dear, please show me Persephone Jackson._

 _Of course, Lord Hades!_ Iris chirped. _Will you tell_ your _Persephone to call me when you see her?_

Hades flushed slightly at the unsubtle way Iris differentiated his wife from his niece. _Of course._

 _Thank you!_

The rainbow blurred for a second before smoothing out, revealing the image of the young demigoddess exiting the yellow taxi, looking over her shoulder with cautious eyes. Hades' heart nearly stopped at sight and he heard himself gasp.

 _Mother?!_

He found himself glued to the display in the shimmering air, but he couldn't care less. How was this possible? Rhea Ourania had disappeared from Olympus' sights soon after the Gigantomachy, but the elder Olympians knew she was still alive due to regular check-ups and occasional gifts she sent them. So how was it possible for his niece to look like her grandmother's spitting image? How?

From the soft, inky black ringlets framing the green eyes that Poseidon inherited from Rhea to the tanned skin, frail build and full lips now scrunched in an expression of distaste Hades had seen numerous times on his mother's face when she heard anyone talk about her husband... Seeing Persephone Jackson was like seeing his own mother in a miniature form, and Hades found himself torn.

How was he supposed to hate his niece when she reminded him so much of the woman he loved unconditionally? Was it truly possible that Poseidon sent the little girl to steal both the Master Bolt and his Helm? His little brother had never been a cruel god; temperamental and unfaithful, yes, but never outright cruel, and to send a miniature copy of their mother to steal his brothers' symbols of power would be beyond cruel.

Suddenly overwhelmed with questions and having next to no answers, Hades stood up from his throne, summoning Thanatos and dispelling the rainbow with a flick of his wrist.

"Yes, my Lord?" Thanatos asked when he appeared, his wings outstretched as he bowed shallowly as per his custom.

"There is a little _situation_ in the mortal world I need to resolve," Hades said regally, hoping the vagueness of his words and the stressing of the word 'situation' would mask his true intentions from his lieutenant. "Will you be able to watch over the Underworld for a short period of time?" The question was entirely unnecessary, but there were some rules and procedures Hades needed to observe before he went off to have a little uncle-niece chat.

"But of course my Lord," Thanatos' entire being glowed and his wings flexed slightly at the thought of the challenge and the trust the God of Underworld showed him. "Although, may I ask... is this about..." Son of Nyx looked pointedly at the armrest of Hades' throne, where his Helm of Darkness usually resided.

Hades nodded, and Thanatos' face darkened, but the older immortal did not inquire further, merely taking the seat. That dealt with, Hades closed his eyes and imagined the address he had briefly seen in the Iris message – East One Hundred and the First in Manhattan – and melted into the shadows, letting them guide him to the alleyway next to Persephone's apartment block.

* * *

The first impression Hades got of his niece's living area could be summed up in one word: _disgusting_. Granted, this was Manhattan, and there was a certain level of sleaziness and dirt Hades had come to expect in every modern mortal city, but this apartment building seemed to have a particularly potent scent of decaying humanity. Hades' eyes narrowed as he processed the thought, moving mindlessly to the entrance of the building. Either this was an amazing coincidence, or his brother's lover was smarter than Hades initially gave her credit for.

Looking at the names taped to the post boxes in the lobby of the building, Hades quickly determined which apartment he needed – the Jackson-Ugliano one. Feeling a little lazy, the Ruler of the Underworld let his shadows unfurl, and sent them to find out where exactly his niece resided. After getting the exact floor, Hades ghosted up the stairs, applying a little whiff of Mist to hide himself from the ordinary mortals. It was a bit of an overkill, but Hades didn't want any interruptions or for his presence to be detected by either of his brothers. His and Poseidon's relationship was more amicable than his and Zeus', but Hades had no illusions what kind of things his younger brother would do if he found out Hades had been visiting his daughter without alerting him beforehand.

As he climbed up the stairs towards the correct floor, the scent of the decaying humanity grew in intensity, reaching the point where Hades felt the need to breathe through his mouth. This was no coincidence: Poseidon's lover must've hidden Persephone near the origin of that repulsive smell to cover up girl's natural scent. That would explain why no monster managed to stumble upon her despite her heritage. Hades' respect for the woman grew as he arrived at the door of the correct apartment and the scent hit him with its full power, which made his eyes water slightly.

Dear Creator, was it even possible for a mortal to reek so repulsively… well, mortal?

He knocked at the door, praying to Fates either his niece or his brother's lover answer the door, for he doubted he could endure being so close to the origin of that smell.

"Sally! Open the door!" Deep male voice shouted from inside the apartment, and Hades tilted his head slightly as he analyzed the new information. Sally, not Persephone – so the lover. Sally Jackson. The name was utterly unassuming, but Hades had learned a long time ago never to assume things based on something as shallow as a name.

The key turned and the lock clicked before the door opened a notch, revealing a chain and a face of Sally Jackson behind it. Even though her face was slightly drawn, the years showing in the soft lines and wrinkles on her face, his brother's lover still retained the air of beauty and dignity. Her eyes widened as she took in Hades' appearance before obediently dropping her gaze to the floor.

"Lord Hades Aidoneus."

 _That_ threw Hades for a loop. He expected the woman to be clear-sighted, but to greet him with both his name and most common title, The Unseen One? This went beyond the usual clear sight - this spoke of _preparation._ She knew what awaited her child.

"Miss Jackson," he replied after a moment. "May I enter? I would like to have a little chat with your daughter."

Sally lifted her head, her murky blue eyes wide with what Hades easily recognized as fear. He could understand her reaction: to have one of the gods appearing on your doorstep and requesting a meeting your child was one thing, when said god's name was Hades? The things got an entirely new meaning.

"It is not your daughter's time yet," he reassured her, watching as the relief spread through the woman's body, making her slump slightly. "I merely wish to have a chat with her."

"What about, my Lord?" Sally asked, removing the chain and opening the doors completely. "I've not told Sephie anything about her father, and she has never told me about anything unusual happening to her."

Hades glided in the apartment, breathing through his mouth to filter the stench of the place, and turned around to fix the mortal with an incredulous look.

"She knows nothing about us? The gods, monsters... anything?" He questioned, a deep set unease crawling into his gut. If Persephone Jackson had no knowledge of her father, how could she have stolen his Helm?

"Nothing at all," Sally confirmed. "She believes her father was lost at sea."

A small smile tugged at the edges of Hades' mouth. "Clever, Lady Jackson," he deliberately addressed her with a formal title, watching the woman's cheeks redden. "Very clever. I can see what my brother saw in you."

"Sally!" the male voice from before shouted again, and Hades heard the scraping of wood against the floor before the obese man waddled into the hallway from what Hades guessed was the kitchen, bringing with him the horrible stench. Hades' eyebrows rose as he again had to concentrate on not breathing through the nose. "Who the fuck is this, Sally?!"

"Language," Hades chided the mortal before Sally could say anything. "And I am merely here to visit Persephone."

"The brat?" The mortal narrowed his eyes, and Hades saw him look over the fine suit and the various gems and precious metals adorning his wrists and fingers. "What, are you her father?"

Hades chuckled. While he wished he had met Sally Jackson before his brother, he valued his oath of no children more. "Dear Fates, no! I am, however, her family: her father's older brother."

"Uncle?" A high, feminine voice came from behind him, and Hades spun around to confront the owner of the voice, only to promptly lose his voice. If he had thought Persephone looked incredibly similar to her grandmother in the Iris message, it paled to the resemblance she bore at the personal inspection. By the Creator, she was not 'practically' a spitting image, she was Rhea's little clone, the voice aside! "You're my uncle?"

"Sephie," Sally moved around the god of Underworld to reach her daughter while the said god stood silently in shock. "Please go back to your room."

"Are you my uncle?" little demigoddess repeated, a pout Hades was all-too-familiar with appearing on her face, and he groaned inwardly. There was no saying no to their mother or to his brother when they made that face!

"Yes, child, I am," Hades somehow said those four words without stuttering. "You look incredibly like your father and grandmother."

Persephone's eyes lit up, and even Sally looked intrigued at his admission. Hades wanted to curse himself for that little slip-up, but before he could say anything, the reeking mortal interrupted.

"Are you taking the brat away?"

"Gabriel!" Sally exclaimed in shock and anger, but Hades tilted his head, deep in thought. The interference on the quests and contact with their demigod children was absolutely forbidden to the gods, but this was neither his child nor part of anyone's quest. However, there was still a matter of his little brother's rage that needed to be factored in.

"No, I am not," Hades declared, and watched Persephone – Sephie as her mother caller her, and Hades had to admit the nickname was cute – wilt, so he quickly added, "but I need to have a little private discussion with my niece, about some family matters."

He smiled slightly at the girl's sudden interest and Sally's confusion. Before the disgusting mortal could react, Hades tugged his niece by her shoulder into the room she came out of and closed the door, murmuring a locking spell and a spell against eavesdroppers.

"Family matters?" Per- _Sephie_ asked him as he finished with the spells.

"Yes, my dear niece," Hades sighed and turned around. "Some rather serious family matters. Before we start though: what do you know about your father?"

Sephie blinked, taken aback, before her eyes hardened and face smoothed into a neutral expression. "He was tall, dark and handsome," she said in a monotone, almost as if quoting someone. "He was very powerful and very important, and his relationship with my mum was secret. Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic and never came back. He was lost at the sea." She blinked again, her voice returning to its normal cadence. "That's all my mum ever told me about him."

Hades nodded, sitting down next to his niece on the rickety bed. As far as stories went, this was one of the more accurate ones, lying only in the fact it didn't mention gods anywhere. "Not bad," he admitted. "Completely truthful, yet an utter lie. My nephew, your cousin, would've been impressed."

Sephie looked rather lost, so Hades went on. "The essentials of the story are the truth. Your father is powerful and important, and his relationship with your mother was certainly a secret – for twelve years, none of our family members knew you even existed. Quite impressive, everything considered." He couldn't help but admire how dedicated both Sally and Poseidon were in hiding Sephie from immortal eyes. "We usually know very quickly when my brothers or I sire a child, due to the gifts and the curse our children bear."

"Gifts? Curse?" Sephie interrupted, looking quite annoyed, and Hades cracked a smile at the blunt display of Poseidon's impatience. "What are you talking about? I don't even know your name!"

Ah, there was his opening. "Hades," he said simply, letting the name hang in the silence. "My name is Hades."

"Like, the Greek god of the dead?" Sephie scoffed, and Hades shook his head. His little niece was quite amusing, and thankfully she didn't confuse him with Thanatos, who governed over the actual death.

"Not like. I am the Greek God of Dead, Ruler of the Underworld."

Sephie exploded in laughter. That was not the usual response to the existence of the world beyond the Mist, but it was better than blubbering panic.

"You expect me to believe that?" Sephie spoke through laughter, before she realized Hades was not laughing with her. "You're kidding me, right?" She sounded a little unsure.

"I am afraid not, my dear niece," Hades sighed. "Greek gods are quite real, and you are the ultimate proof. A child of a god and a mortal – a demigod, or demigoddess in your case."

"Look, even if I believe that gods are real, what do I have to do with that?" Sephie asked, now quite unnerved. "Where do I fit in?"

"Why, you're my little brother's daughter, not to mention your mother named you after my wife and your cousin," Hades told her, letting her connect the remaining dots. If she knew anything about the mortal recording of their pantheon's antics, she'll know pretty soon who her father is.

"Little brother... Poseidon, God of the Seas," Sephie sounded quite faint, and Hades noted how pale she became, looking everywhere but at him. "He's alive?"

"Unfortunately," he informed her with a put-upon sigh, "although he's still a much preferable brother to be around than the Drama King brat." Thunder rumbled ominously, and Hades sighed. "See? I don't even mention his name, and he gets all huffy."

"Then why hasn't he visited me?" Sephie suddenly demanded, her eyes glittering, and Hades leaned away from the demigoddess. Fates, he feared the day she stepped into the Olympus: she would bring down the elder Olympians on their knees with her eyes alone! "Is he's really my father, why hasn't he visited?"

"The ancient laws forbid the gods from interacting with their _children_ directly," Hades smirked, and Sephie's eyes widened.

"But you're not my father, so - "

"So I have every right to visit you, if I want to. I was not exaggerating about those twelve years we hadn't known," he forestalled her next question, raising his palm in a stop gesture. "Your mother and father hid you almost perfectly from the immortals. You've probably gone on undiscovered for a year more if the situation hadn't arisen."

"Situation?" Sephie leaned forward. "What situation?"

"Your uncle's Master Bolt and my Helm of Darkness are missing – stolen," Hades revealed.

Sephie gasped, covering her mouth. "Who'd be an idiot enough to do that?"

"You," Hades smiled humorlessly, "if you ask your uncle and until a few minutes ago, me as well."

"Wha – is Zeus crazy? How could I've done that if I didn't even know who my father was?" Sephie exploded, hair flying everywhere. If the eyes and the hair weren't enough of a proof, her temper only cemented the resemblance to her father. How many times had he seen that same expression on Poseidon's face when he believed he was falsely accused of something? The sound of thunder cut through Hades' musings and forced him to deal with his niece's righteous anger.

"Please, my dear niece, refrain from using names," he warned the young demigoddess. "Speaking the name may summon the one you're speaking of, and my baby brother is not one of the most reasonable gods when angered."

Sephie huffed and crossed her arms, but the glint reappeared in her eyes. "Is that why my mum refuses to address me as Persephone? To avoid accidentally summoning your wife?"

"Very likely," Hades concurred. "Your mother is very smart."

"Duh, she's my mum," Sephie deadpanned, and Hades was suddenly reminded of the hero that partly shared the name with the young heroine, and his eyes when someone dared to insult his mother.

"Indeed. Now, my dear niece, may I ask a favor of you?"

"A favor?" Sephie tilted her head, and for the first time Hades could see something in her face that didn't connect her to either Rhea or Poseidon; something that belonged solely to Persephone 'Sephie' Jackson – the brilliance of mortality, the ability to adapt to anything. "What favor could I do for my uncle, the God of Underworld?"

Hades chuckled: the way she phrased it, it did sound quite ludicrous. "A very big favor, Persephone Jackson, daughter of the Sea. I cannot look for my Helm personally: Thanatos cannot watch over my domain for that long. When you get a quest for my baby brother's Bolt, would you seek out my Helm as well?"

Sephie blinked before nodding. "Of course, Uncle. You're family, aren't you?"

And Hades was not prideful enough to deny his eyes watering as his niece spoke the words he had only heard out his mother's, Hestia's and occasionally Poseidon's mouth before. Not a single family member who was not either married to him or sired by him had so explicitly included him into the 'family'.

 _Thank you, Sephie Jackson._


	2. Of letters, quests and thieves

**_Ooh-kay. You guys are CRAZY! As in, BATSHIT crazy. Not even full 24 hours have passed, and I already have 10(!) reviews, 20 favorites, 14 followers and over 270 views! What the Hades, people! And just about everyone's been begging me to continue this!_**

 ** _Okay, shocked rant over. Mostly. You surprised this girl! I haven't been around PJO for couple of years, then I post this little short and suddenly I get an explosion... but anyway. You forced me - yes, you forced me! - into making this sequel chapter. Since I got a suggestion to make this a series of one-shots, I will do so, but they will all be interconnected: they'll follow the PJO timeline, and I'll see how long will I be able to keep it up. Maybe I'll sneak in some other gods' POVs later on, but for now, I'm focusing entirely on Sephie and Hades._**

* * *

 _If anyone asked, this never happened._

Hades was still snickering from watching Sephie Jackson and Athena's child Anna-something take a 'Tunnel of Love' ride, even though it happened days ago. Fates, the sheer thought of the children of those two bitter rivals working together was hilarious, let alone taking the ride in a small boat together in a Tunnel of Love! Although, Hades always suspected there was something more behind the rivalry of his little brother and his more tolerable niece. No god took the insults or sacrilege well, they were all too prideful, but Poseidon and Athena shared that special brand of rivalry and hatred Hades had only seen in situations when one party hurt the other emotionally.

He knew better than to insinuate anything to those two though; Athena would outright deny any sort of emotional attachment to Poseidon, and his brother would just give him his patented _I-do-not-need-this-bullshit-right-now-brother_ stare. Yes, the stare had a name – after so many times it had been directed at Zeus for his antics…

But the Summer Solstice deadline was approaching rapidly.

"My Lord?" Thanatos looked a little unnerved by Hades' laughter as he entered the throne room. The oldest son of Kronos took a deep breath to compose himself then turned his gaze to his lieutenant.

"Yes, Thanatos?"

"Hermes is here," the black-winged immortal huffed, and Hades pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Let him in when you leave," the Ruler of the Underworld said after a few seconds. "Is there anything else?"

"Nothing out of ordinary," Thanatos shrugged. "Charon is complaining again."

"You can tell your brother he can either cease his pestering, or I will go visit his mother and have a little 'chat' with her about her son's behavior!" Hades snapped, shaking his head. Fates, why were his subjects and helpers such brats? They were all older than him!

Thanatos smirked and bowed shallowly. "As you command, my Lord." Son of Nyx sauntered out of the throne room, scrolling down his I-phone in search of newly deceased, and his wing-footed nephew came in.

"Hel-lo, Uncle H!" Hermes greeted cheerfully, rummaging around his messenger bag. "Dad sends his missive-"

"My brother can stuff his missives up his _podex_ ," Hades cut Hermes off, leaning back in his throne. "Anything else?"

"Uncle P sends an oral warning for you," here Hermes cleared his throat. "'Keep your paws off my daughter and let her finish her quest – I mean it, Hades', quote unquote." The Poseidon imitation Hermes did was not too bad. The Sea King did have a protective streak when it came to his many children, and Hades could only guess how protective Poseidon would be of his first mortal daughter.

"Oh, I certainly won't be interfering, you can tell Poseidon that," Hades chuckled. "I am not in habit of attacking his children."

"And Persephone Jackson sends you a letter," here Hermes frowned. "Why would she be sending you letters?"

Hades froze for a second. How was he going to explain this? One wrong word, and both Zeus and Poseidon would be on his case: Zeus for contacting the demigoddess in the first place, and Poseidon out of sheer overprotectiveness.

"I have no idea," he drawled at last, desperately searching for a convincing lie. "I do have her mother here – maybe that's why."

Hermes' mouth formed an 'O'. "It could be," the messenger nodded as he handed his uncle the letter. "It fits – I've heard from my kids she adores her mother. Anyway, that's it. Bye, Uncle H!"

Hades took the letter, tucked it away in the pocket and said nothing in response, waiting for Hermes to leave. As soon as the younger immortal left, Hades pulled out the letter again and opened it with utmost care. The envelope was cheap and plain white, with name _Hades_ scrawled in messy Greek on it and a stamp of Nevada on it, but the god did not care: his niece willingly contacted him of all gods, and not her father.

He had a sudden urge to rub this in his brother's face, but then he remembered the Medusa head the little brat sent to Olympus and decided otherwise. Poseidon got the 'notice me Dad!' parcel – like the Olympians needed an additional reminder Sephie existed! – and he got the personal mail: it wasn't fair to compare those two.

A postcard slid out of the envelope, and Hades felt horror well up in him – it had an image of Lotus Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas plastered on it. _Had the girl met my children?_

Heart filled with dread, he turned the card around to read the message.

 _Hey Uncle Hades,_

 _Greetings from Vegas! The city is just like the stories: glitz and glamour and sin and pure awesomeness! One question: are Nico and Bianca Di Angelo my cousins? They look a bit like you – well, if you look them straight in the eye. I doubt I'd have recognized them if we hadn't had that little chat before I got to the Camp Half-Blood! Also, sorry for coming this close to the deadline, Lotus Hotel and Casino really messed us up – we spent five days in there, and we thought it was only a few hours!_

 _See you soon!_

 _Sephie Jackson_

 _P.S. Is it normal for the gifts from gods to return to you, even when you dump them in the trash? Annabeth and Grover don't know, and you're the only god I know personally aside from Ares the jerk, and he was the one who gave it to me._

 _She did._ Hades wanted to groan out loud. Why, oh why was this happening? First his niece looks like his mother and has the name of his wife, and now she sends postcards to see if she had cousins on his side of the family. Maybe the Fates were onto something when they refused to allow Poseidon to have mortal daughters. No hero had created this much chaos so early, and Sephie was only twelve! If she lived to see her sixteenth birthday, she would either raze Olympus or transform it completely!

The post-scriptum caught his eye, however. Why was Ares giving out gifts that returned to the receivers? That type of magic was not unusual, but it was not Ares' style. The gifts in general were not Ares' style, but in those rare moments he gave them, they never had to end up in the trash. So, why would Ares give out gifts that returned to their receivers, and why would Sephie want to dump them into trash? He would have to think about it.

Hades skillfully ignored the growing sense of unease in his bones and the voice of his thrice-cursed Father whispering in his ear. Sephie was coming soon, and they needed to play this out perfectly. No one was to know about his little visit, or the fact Sephie knew about his Helm missing.

* * *

The questers – Athena's child, satyr and Sephie – did not look their best as they entered his throne room, but it was still fair sight better than usual. Namely, they didn't smell of the streets, although they looked curiously ruffled for people who drove from Vegas to Los Angeles after the stay in Lotus Hotel. Hades leaned back into the throne, letting his aura permeate the air, and enjoyed seeing the trio shudder before Sephie took a bold step forward, the bolt hidden in the backpack. He narrowed his eyes at his baby brother's symbol of power: why did she have it, when she freely admitted she knew nothing of their world before his visit?

"My Lord and Uncle," she spoke, bowing her head in almost mockery of respect, and Hades wanted to snort. He had to play this game, but it was really difficult not to argue with the girl when she channeled her father so thoroughly! "I come here with a request and a plea."

Request and plea? He could play with that, even with Master Bolt throwing a spanner in his plan.

"You amuse me, dear niece," Hades spoke languidly, watching with sharp eyes every micro-expression on Sephie's face. Athena's child and satyr were of less importance right now – _she_ was the main player. "To think you can simply stroll into the Underworld and request, nay, demand anything of me. But I will listen."

Sephie gulped, eyes unsure for a moment, before she raised her chin to meet his gaze dead on. Foolish of her, but he would let it slide, for now. Her name _was_ Persephone, after all, and he couldn't ignore the halo of Rhea around her.

"I doubt you want the war between Uncle Zeus and my father," she started slowly. "I mean, what would you gain from it? Sure, they would battle, leaving themselves wide open for a sneak attack, but gods never play fair. They use humans to do their bidding, and every mortal who dies comes here." She gestured vaguely in the direction of the Asphodel Fields, and Hades was reluctantly impressed with her perceptiveness. "And frankly, you don't need more souls here – the chaos is big enough as it is. So please Uncle, return Zeus' Master Bolt so we can all avoid the total war."

Hades spied Athena's child give Sephie impressed look and the satyr's wide eyes, but he was still more focused on the steely determination in Sephie's eyes.

"You would not be wrong, little niece," Hades sighed, tapping his fingers against the throne's armrests, "but there's a slight… _problem_ with your request."

The girl blinked, taken aback. "Uncle – I mean, Lord Hades?" She made a little slip, but it was not a terrible one, so Hades ignored it as he stood up.

"My brother's Master Bolt was not the only thing that had gone missing," he hissed, summoning all of the anger he held for the currently nameless and faceless thief. Sephie's eyes widened, and Athena's child and satyr gasped. Hades felt a pang of regret for scaring the children, but this was all a game, and the favorable result hinged on his ability to act.

"The Helm of Darkness!" Athena's child squeaked. "Sephie, the Helm of Darkness!"

"Indeed, child of Athena. My Helm was also stolen – by you, little niece! And now you come to threaten me, to return your mother to you?! The nerve of you, Persephone Jackson!"

"B-but I don't _have_ the Bolt!" Sephie staggered backward, true fear shining from her eyes, and Hades had to stop himself from offering her an apology. She may have told the truth, but someone had played all three sons of Kronos for fools, and Hades needed to know who!

"Oh? Then check your backpack, if you're so certain!" he ordered harshly, and was treated to utter shock and terror from all three questers when Sephie pulled out the Master Bolt.

"How? When?" Athena's child muttered hurriedly, inspecting the backpack. The satyr was braying, unable to stand still, and Sephie… Sephie looked like everything clicked in its place in her head, and the picture she was seeing terrified her out of her mind.

"No," she whispered, silencing everyone in the room, "no! Ares… but how… counselors. Winter Solstice. Of course! Clarisse? Or…" The horror on her face deepened, and Hades dug his nails into his palms to stop himself from reacting.

"Sephie, what are you talking about?" The satyr asked the same thing Hades wanted to know.

"Yes, Persephone, what are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry Uncle Hades," Sephie said weakly, turning only her head to look her uncle in the face. "I – I don't have your Helm, but I know who has it right now – and I think I know who stole it." Hades blinked, but demigoddess went on, preventing anyone from commenting. "I swear on the River Styx I have not stolen either the Master Bolt or the Helm of Darkness," the thunder could be heard through the ground and Hades felt eyes widen, "and I swear I will return the Helm to Lord Hades when I win the possession of it." The thunder rumbled again, and Persephone quickly pulled out three misty-green pearls Hades recognized from the many experiments Poseidon did early in their rulership of the world. "Let's go!"

"PERSEPHONE JACKSON!" Hades shouted and the skeletons he had scattered through his throne room awoke in response to their master's fury, but it was too late – the trio had already shattered the pearls, and the bubbles did not allow any physical harm. The last look he spotted on his niece's face was realization that was slowly turning into determination.

 _Maybe there was hope._

* * *

"The half-blood fulfilled her oath," Alecto hissed as she entered the throne room, finding her Lord pacing around it. Hades instantly zeroed in on his Helm in the Fury's hands, and all but sprinted across the room to get it. He relaxed the moment the metal of the war helmet touched his scalp: it drowned out the whispers from his sire and other prisoners currently stuck in Tartarus and opened the old channels with which he controlled the shadows.

"So she had," Hades sighed, stroking the Helm fondly. "So she had, Alecto. She had proven herself."

"Indeed she had," Alecto nodded and left, although she didn't look happy about it, and Hades didn't blame her. It was not in Alecto's nature to praise anyone, least of all the demigods. However, things still weren't over – not completely.

"I believe there is no longer any need to keep her mother here," Hades mused, looking at the small jar holding Sally Jackson's soul. "Yes, no need at all." And with a snap of his fingers, he released his brother's former lover back into the upper world. He owed his little niece that much.

Speaking of nieces though…

"Hermes!" Hades called out. "I need you to send a message to Poseidon!"

* * *

About a week after the summer solstice, Hermes invaded his throne room again.

"Hey, Uncle H! You gotta tell me what you did to Sephie Jackson," the messenger god pouted as her picked out the blue envelope out of his pocket. "She's sending you mail again!"

 _Yesss, tell him pleassse, Lord Hadesss,_ Martha, one of the snakes on Hermes' caduceus hissed.

 _Maybe he'll ssstop whining about the pretty Sssea Princesss ignoring him,_ George, the other snake, snickered.

Hades raised his eyebrow, quite amused as Hermes' ears reddened, and he hissed at his snakes to be quiet.

"Ignoring you? Did I hear that right, nephew?"

 _Yessss_ , Martha cackled. _It'sss quite amusssing._

"It's not like that!" Hermes whined, pushing the envelope towards Hades. "I mean, she's pretty, sure, but it's not - I'm not -!"

"Don't let my brother hear you," Hades advised the younger god with a smirk. "He's _very_ protective of his little Princess."

"You don't have to tell me, uncle!" Hermes groaned, morphing his staff into the mobile phone and checking the messages waiting for him. "He nearly blasted Ares to Tartarus for hurting her, and landed Apollo in his own infirmary for 'objectifying his daughter'! Even _Athena_ looked surprised!"

"Did he?" Hades' smirk was positively feral now, not having any complaints about his brother's behavior for once. If anyone did something similar to Bianca… well, he wasn't a God of Underworld for nothing. "Good. Now I believe you have messages to deliver?"

"Yeah! Bye!" Hermes fled the throne room, and Hades shook his head in amusement. It would do his family good to have a pretty girl dangling in front of them like a forbidden fruit – maybe then they'll learn some restraint.

He carefully opened the letter, and this time the white sheet of paper fell out instead of the postcard. The letters looked much neater this time: Sephie was apparently in no rush when she wrote this.

 _Hey Uncle Hades!_

 _I know, I know, you must be wondering why is your favorite mortal niece pestering you now, but I had to. I had to say thank you. You returned my mum, hale and healthy, to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!_

 _On the completely unrelated note, there is a soul of Gabriel Ugliano currently rotting in Charon's lobby. Can you please make sure he gets the worst imaginable torture in the Fields of Punishment? I have some ideas too, but since I'm trying not to waste paper and ink on that swine of a man, I won't tell you here – but you're free to contact me whenever, however! (Dad and Chiron helped with the ideas. Who would've thought Chiron could be so vindictive?)_

 _I guess I've got to address the elephant in the room now – who stole the bolt. I'm still not 100 percent sure, but I think it's Luke Castellan, son of Hermes. I talked with Annabeth, and she told me year-round counselors went up on Olympus that day. Ares had been controlled by Grandpa dearest_ (Hades shuddered here) _, and I had… dreams. Dreams of the voice in the pit, talking to someone, and that someone sounded familiar and mentioned the thief was intercepted by a god. The only counselors I know well enough to recognize the voice of are Annabeth, Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares, and Luke, and Ares said Clarisse wasn't in on it. Of course, Ares could've been lying, but… Luke has been distant last few days, and we had such a great start!_

 _I'm praying I'm wrong, but with the Oracle's warnings and him being so distant… I don't know, Uncle. Like I said, I could be missing the mark completely, but… I'm scared to death (no pun intended) I'll be proven right. I don't want to lose the first person who welcomed me in the camp._

 _Well, that's all from me!_

 _Yours,_

 _Sephie Jackson_

 _P.S. You never told me: are Bianca and Nico my cousins?_

Hades restrained the urge to crumple the letter; rather, he folded it carefully and returned it to the envelope, placing it next to the postcard from Vegas. The request about Gabriel Ugliano – Sephie's stepfather, if he remembered it right from his visit, he never asked the name – he could do easily enough: Alecto would enjoy torturing him, and he was a little curious what Chiron and his brother came up with. Thoughts of Nico and Bianca he pushed to the back of his mind, hoping Sephie would forget about them eventually, and smiled at the heartfelt thanks.

The thief, though… Hades gritted his teeth. If Hermes' son had really stolen his Helm, and worked together with his sire, he would pay dearly. Not many knew, but the Helm helped Hades keep his Father's voice out of his mind – he had naturally strong mental shields, but he lived way too close to Tartarus for the shields to be enough – and the theft subjected the God of the Dead to six months of sleepless nights and nightmares, not to mention _his_ voice constantly whispering to him when he was awake. Oh, when he gets his hands on the thief… he will show them just _why_ he was the sibling with the most resemblance to his _dear_ Father.

 _If the thief wishes to listen to my Father so much… I will oblige._


	3. Birthday cookies time!

_**This chapter is in honor of my gorgeous bastard of the Math Exam proctor - also known as 'why in Tartarus does he look so much like Luke freaking Castellan?' guy. No, seriously: the guy looked**_ **exactly _like the Luke I imagined, blue eyes, blonde hair and all. He only lacked the scar and had a light beard. What the Hades?!_**

 **Little warning: this chapter is pure imagination - nothing like this occurred in PJO. But I figured, since Sephie would have no 'official' reason to be in contact with her 'Uncle Hades' until the Titan's Curse, I would add this scene in for the heck of it.**

* * *

Days held little meaning in the Underworld – be it day or night in the upper world, the realm of the dead stayed the same, enveloped in thick shroud of greyish mist. The dead, after all, had no need for telling time. The only real way for the living and the immortals to tell time was to watch out for the slow dissipation or thickening of the mist: the signs Hades was happy with his wife, or sulking without her.

The 18th of August was no different in that regard: the mist was only starting to dissipate in remote places, a sure sign of Persephone's arrival being not too far away. Hades reclined in his throne, head propped against his arm, which in turn was propped on the armrest, his dark eyes half-mast as he listened to Thanatos' report. After the immortal was finished – thankfully, his niece had not done anything too damaging to the security, since she went through Charon and only set off one alarm – he dismissed the black-winged lieutenant and closed his eyes completely, praying to Morpheus for peaceful rest for a change.

Despite the Helm allowing him respite from the Tartarus-induced nightmares and waking visions, it did nothing to help him avoid Fates and their little games. While not the sibling most prone to the unsettling, prophetic dreams – the laurels for that went to Poseidon – he had been getting chilling dreams for the last two weeks. He had seen his Father in his full form: the sight no immortal younger than Zeus had seen, and Hades desperately hoped no one would have to, but the news that reached him via his oldest sister Hestia spoke otherwise.

He clenched his hands instinctively, as he recalled that day…

 _Hades had just signed off on the last file of the deceased that entered the Fields of Punishment – none other than Gabriel Ugliano, and he had to say, he was impressed by the sheer cruelty of the punishment – when the knock sounded through his office._

 _"_ _Come in," he called, laying down the gold fountain pen with sapphire inlays at the top and stretching his wrist. Only those he truly considered his family – Hestia, Poseidon, Thanatos, Hecate and Persephone – knew he hated when someone barged in his office and knocked before entering._

 _Hestia, his dearest sister, slinked through the heavy obsidian doors and closed them before turning to him, sending him a warm smile. "Brother."_

 _"_ _Sister," Hades greeted, standing up and opening his arms, a smile of his own playing at the corners of his lips. Hestia grew in front of his eyes, from her twelve-year-old form to the mature twenty-year-old woman, and stepped into the offered hug, bringing the smell of sandalwood and forget-me-nots with her. "I see you still use that little recipe for the shower."_

 _"_ _Oh, the sandalwood?" Hestia shrugged, still smiling gently, motherly in a way that sent pangs through Hades' heart and made him wish for Rhea. "Mother sent me as a birthday present, and I loved it. Why change it?"_

 _"_ _True," Hades nodded and released his sister. "What brings you to my abode, my dear sister?"_

 _Hestia sighed, tucking the stray auburn lock behind her ear. "Nothing good, I am afraid. You should sit for this."_

 _Hades blinked at the devastated expression on her normally serene and gentle features but complied, not wishing to add to his sister's sorrow. "You should sit as well, sister."_

 _"_ _I cannot, brother," Hestia murmured, shaking her head. "The pain… I cannot sit, not yet. I'm afraid I'll turn your beautiful furniture into ashes and sludge."_

 _Hades felt the worry spread from his heart to his limbs. It wasn't like Hestia to lose control of her powers; you had to severely hurt her, be it physically or emotionally, before she'd feel anywhere close to incinerating objects on touch._

 _"_ _What ails you, mikri aderphi?" he asked, the old nickname of 'little sister' the rest of the children of Kronos came up with during the Titanomachy slipping off his tongue without any conscious thought._

 _Hestia smiled weakly at the nickname, but grew sad again. "It's Sephie. She… was betrayed today, by the boy she trusted." She lifted her head up. "He was the thief."_

 _Hades inhaled, the pressure in his chest rising. The thief and the betrayal… Sephie's letter…_

 _"_ _Luke Castellan," he said, not bothering to hide his shock._

 _Hestia's eyes widened, but she didn't ask how he knew the name. "Yes. He poisoned her and left her to die in the woods of Camp Half-Blood. Thank Fates, the dryads alerted Chiron, and he and Apollo's children healed her before she sustained any permanent damage. She woke up not long ago, and immediately came to my hearth to cry."_

 _Hades' heart constricted for a second, and he found himself sympathizing with his little niece and his favorite sister. He and Hestia knew better than any immortal currently not imprisoned or faded how betrayal felt like: Hades still nursed a grudge against Zeus for killing Maria and betraying his trust, and Hestia remembered their Father's betrayal when he swallowed her._

 _"_ _A half-blood, so willing to betray his own blood… It does not bode well for us, sister."_

 _"_ _No, it doesn't," Hestia sighed, playing aimlessly with the lock of her hair. "I know Chiron sent the message to our family on Olympus, but I wanted to make sure you knew immediately. Poseidon will be furious."_

 _"_ _As long as he doesn't send too many mortals here," Hades sighed, already dreading the workload he would have to endure, but honestly not too angry, "I will not begrudge him his fury. I would've done the same thing."_

 _"_ _You immature children," Hestia scolded half-heartedly, knowing she could not change her brothers' ways. "Why do the mortals have to suffer your wrath? Can you not focus your anger on the true culprit?"_

 _"_ _Oh believe me sister, I certainly will," Hades promised, his eyes glinting with mad sparkle that made Hestia flinch slightly. "Between Poseidon and I, Lucas Castellan will not have a single peaceful moment in his life – or afterlife."_

 _Hestia shook her head but didn't comment further, glancing at the door. "I have to go, Zeus is issuing a call for an emergency meeting. Let's hope Hera and I will be able to stop Poseidon from blasting Hermes into pieces."_

 _"_ _Safe travels, mikri aderphi," Hades shouted after her, and Hestia giggled before vanishing in a burst of fire._

Thankfully, Poseidon quickly got a hold of himself, and the number of the dead that came in as a result of his temper could only be counted in dozens, not hundreds or thousands. Hermes managed to evade the 'blasted to pieces' fate by the hair's breadth, and Sephie Jackson healed fully from the poisoning. Still, Hades could not feel a little concerned for his niece. She had poured her heart out to Hestia, and Hades knew how good his sister was at lessening the heartache, but he wished he could talk to her as well.

He was the one she had confided in first; it was he who knew about her suspicions about Son of Hermes long before the poisoning, he who knew how much she wished he wasn't the thief and how afraid she was of the truth. He couldn't leave the Underworld again – Thanatos would grow suspicious, and if even one immortal got suspicious, soon the whole Olympus would know of it – but he could send the letter. He didn't dare use Hermes' services – again, suspicions – but he could will the shadows to deposit the letter on Sephie's bed or her desk. Also, it would make a nice present – it was her birthday today, wasn't it?

Just as he decided to go to his office and start the letter, Alecto flew in, her countenance mulish.

"Orpheus' doors have been opened, my Lord," she grumbled, not at all happy. "Half-blood came in, carrying the blessing of Persephone."

Hades blinked, completely taken aback. Why would his wife bless a demigod, and why would the said demigod come through Orpheus' doors? Moreover, why was Alecto so calm?

"Who is the half-blood?" Hades asked.

"Persephone Jackson, my Lord," Alecto replied, and Hades instantly understood why wasn't she raising a bigger fuss. The story of a half-blood daughter of Poseidon who kept her oath and returned the Helm of Darkness to him without asking for anything in return spread like wildfire through the Underworld, and even Nyx, hiding in her House of Night in Tartarus, came up to ask him about it. Not a single immortal could remember a hero who came in the Underworld and left with such little fuss, and all that without demanding the return of the loved one, and they were impressed.

Hades had a feeling had he not had a wife already, he would be dealing with a slew of pointed questions and covert negotiations with his brother behind his back. He shook his head at the thought: his niece was beautiful, yes, and if she lived long enough could give Aphrodite run for her money, but he was not attracted to her. He respected Sephie and couldn't help but adore her a little bit for her resemblance to Rhea, but nothing else. It was nothing like the all-consuming love he felt for Persephone the moment he saw her and still felt to this day.

"Very well," Hades finally said when he realized Alecto was waiting for his orders. "Let her through, and make sure she goes _around_ the security this time. I do not wish to recalibrate the scanners again."

"Yes my Lord." With that, Alecto flew off to bring Sephie in, and Hades relaxed in his throne, summoning a pomegranate to play with it while he waited.

As he rolled the fruit between his hands, an idea sneaked into his head. Hades blinked, surprised it even came up in the first place, but… It was not a _terrible_ idea, but he'll have to work on it before he implemented it. Maybe the next time Sephie visits…

In that moment, he didn't even question the fact there would _be_ a next visit; he simply took it for granted his niece would visit him again, sooner or later.

"Uncle?" Sephie's voice tore him out of his thoughts, and he refocused on the girl, only to blink again.

"Persephone, what are you wearing?" was the first thing that came out of his mouth, and he could care less how rude it sounded.

"A dress?" It was Sephie's turn to blink, completely befuddled by the question. "And it's Sephie, Uncle!"

It was not just a dress, though: it was a pure white _peplos_ with blue stitched waves at the bottom hem, held up by intricately decorated shell-shaped clasps and outrageously beautiful yet delicate silver belt Hades remembered as the part of three-piece set of belts Hephaestus gave Poseidon for his daughter Rhode's wedding. One went to Rhode, the other to Kympoleia, but the third was never worn by Queen Amphitrite, so Hades had assumed it was either lost or re-forged into a weapon. Apparently, Poseidon kept it hidden, hoping to give it to his third daughter.

In short, Sephie could've passed for a Grecian woman from the times long gone, with the added claim of her father showing everywhere, from the stitching to the clasps. She even had a pearl-incrusted hairpin keeping the stray locks from her face.

"Why are you wearing it, though?"

"It's a birthday present from Dad," Sephie shrugged, tracing the lines of the _peplos_ curiously. "And it looks pretty – when you ignore the fact your entire side is left exposed."

Hades closed his eyes and counted to three in his head. He'd just tried to forget _that_ little fact. " _Of course_ he'd send you that. _Chiton_ would've been less revealing," _not to mention favored by Athenian women,_ "but _peplos_ is more adaptable to the life of a warrior woman – Spartan women wore it all the time."

Sephie smirked. "Thanks for the compliment, Uncle Hades. But," here she pulled a basket from behind her back, "enough about my clothes. I have a present for you! Well, Lady Persephone has the present, my mum and I just provided the food."

 _Persephone sent him a gift?_

Hades inched closer to the covered basket, insanely curious. What would his wife send him, and use Sephie as the messenger? He tried to lift the cover, but Sephie pulled the basket away.

"Ah-ah, not here! Dear gods Uncle, I heard from Auntie Hestia you don't really communicate with living, but _everyone_ knows not to peek into the surprise basket before it is handed to you!"

"Sephie…" Hades warned, but Sephie just laughed.

"I'm serious! You're not getting the basket until you show me a room where we can sit down and talk like civilized people!"

"My bedroom?" flew out of Hades' mouth before he could stop himself, and he blushed in embarrassment. Dear Fates, if Poseidon heard him right now…

Sephie's laughter stopped his imaginings of doom. "You're funny, Uncle! I'll have to decline though; wouldn't want Lady Persephone to get on my case and turn me into a plant! Sitting room, maybe?"

Hades managed to get his blush under control and lead his niece to the sitting room a corridor away from the throne room. It was not his and Persephone's private sitting room; rather, it was made for his helpers and occasional visitors in mind, with leather couches and armchairs strewn around the low, circular glass table, the room lit in mysterious green by the inlaid torches, courtesy of Hecate.

"Wow," Sephie craned her head to take in everything in the room. "You have good taste in décor, Uncle."

"It was mostly Hecate's and Persephone's work, to be honest," Hades shrugged, sinking into the loveseat he usually shared with Persephone. To his surprise, Sephie joined him on the other side, toeing off the sandals and folding her legs under her, and placed the basket between them.

"Then, tell Lady Persephone and Lady Hecate they have good taste," Sephie tilted her head before pushing the basket to her uncle. "Well?"

Hades pulled the basket to himself, noting daisies and lilies embroidered into the covering cloth, and pulled the cloth off.

"Oh," he gasped, eyes wide. The handful of forget-me-nots and a purple rose in the middle were tied with a satin white ribbon rested atop a letter and two metal tins with 'Cookies' and 'Drinks' written in Ancient Greek. "Persephone…"

"I know, right?" Sephie bounced a little on the loveseat, a huge grin on her face. "My mum couldn't stop cooing over it, and Dad was legit jealous you got such a caring wife."

"Maybe if he would stop cheating on her," Hades jabbed playfully, not taking his eyes off the flowers. "Or maybe not. I hear Amphitrite is a bitch no matter how much my brother tries to please her."

"Urgh, great. Can't wait to meet her," Sephie sassed, reaching for the 'Cookies' tin. Hades slapped her hand away. "Hey, it's my birthday, and I want my blue chocolate-chip cookies!"

"Need I remind you, the basket was for _me?_ " Hades raised his eyebrow, and Sephie pouted.

"But the cookies aren't," demigoddess argued, reaching for the tin again. This time, Hades let her grab the tin, but stopped her from opening it.

"Let me read the letter first," he looked his niece straight in the eyes, and Sephie nodded, releasing the cover of the tin. "And, _blue_ cookies?"

Sephie smirked. "An inside joke. Now hurry up!"

Hades chuckled at the impatience and slowly opened the envelope in retaliation, releasing the smell of jasmines and pomegranates. He skimmed over it, aware of the demigoddess shooting him dirty looks for making her wait, and folded the letter.

"I'll read it later. Cookies?"

"Cookies!" Sephie yelped, yanking the cover of the tin off, grabbing the round, blue cookie and stuffing into her mouth. Hades shook his head and picked up his own cookie, deciding on the slow nibbling. Once he tasted it, though, he couldn't stop himself from mimicking his niece: the cookies were almost as good as Hestia's!

"Amazing," he praised after swallowing the cookie, only to discover Sephie was finishing up her second and reaching for the third. "Leave me some cookies to me, brat!"

Sephie giggled before snatching her cookie and in no time, niece and uncle were eyeballs-deep in the competition of _who-will-eat-more-cookies._

Thanatos peeked into the sitting room, curious as to the source of shouts and laughter. He chuckled at the sight of his Lord holding the blue ( _?_ ) cookie high above the unknown twelve-year-old girl's head, while she desperately tried to reach it without leaving the tin box out of her hands. The girl, while no immortal, radiated power he only saw in children of three sons of Kronos –

 _Ah!_

The grin on his face widened as he committed the scene to the memory, more than ready to use it as a blackmail. It would explain the sea shell clasps on her – was it _peplos_?

"C'mon, Uncle!" Persephone Jackson whined, reaching again for the cookie while simultaneously batting away her uncle's hand from the tin box. "You're not playing fair!"

"Like you played fair at all, brat," the joyful tone in Hades's voice took away the sting of the insult. "Grabbing two at the same time was against the rules!"

"It's not if you stuff them both in the same time in your mouth!" Daughter of Poseidon argued, before an evil glint appeared in her eyes. "Okay, I'll give you the box."

Hades narrowed his eyes, probably able to sense the _but_ in the sentence, just like Thanatos. "But?"

"No buts. I _might_ mention your teasing to someone, though," and whoever thought Hades was the devious one had to get their heads checked, because the shit-eating grin Persephone Jackson sported was the pure deviousness.

"Oh no, you're not pulling a 'wife' card on me, dear niece!" Hades barked, but Thanatos could see the bead of sweat on his Lord's forehead.

"Oh, I'm not going to tell Lady Persephone," Persephone Jackson drawled. "I'll tell my Dad."

Hades did not reply, but Thanatos shook his head and left, not wishing to see the terror he knew appeared on his Lord's face. Every the most idiotic of the Olympians knew how protective Poseidon was of his children, and he _had_ heard the tale of what really happened to Ares and Apollo. Son of Nyx shuddered at the thought. Having your wrists and ankles twisted a full 180 degrees _and_ your manhood speared through with Poseidon's Trident was _painful._ Not that he spoke from experience. He stayed away from the trouble!

* * *

 **P.S. I have the idea for the next chapter - the first 'omake', or the chapter not made from Hades' perspective. From whose, I won't tell just yet, but I assure you it'll be _very_ funny. xD I'd also really like to thank _crazyman844_ and _Empryexl_ for sparking the idea for the omake, and everyone else who reviewed and made me happy enough to write this:**

 _ **MaxBlayde**_

 ** _The Fanster_ (Ra, stop being lazy and log in before posting a review!)**

 _ **LittleBunnyFuFu13**_

 _ **DragonQueen713**_

 _ **BlackRiptide14**_

 _ **.Winchester.17**_

 _ **lightwalnut64**_

 _ **DreamingCerulean**_

 **and 2 guests!  
**


	4. Omake: Hermes - She's pretty

_**4k for this chapter. Yeah. I don't even want to know how and why. Oh, I know why. I had way too much fun with the Olympus meeting.**_

 _ **On the more serious side, I promised the funny chapter. It's... not. Not really. Sure, it has funny and even hilarious moments, but the end is anything but fun and games, courtesy of our favorite traitor. Yep.**_

 _ **Anyway, let's see Sephie through Hermes' eyes!**_

* * *

The first time Hermes heard the name Persephone Jackson was a bit of a shock, to pardon the pun.

Zeus had called an emergency meeting about two weeks before the Summer Solstice, and Hermes flashed to his throne fully prepared for another agonizing round of screaming between his father and Uncle Poseidon. Ever since the Master Bolt got stolen, Olympus was in constant state of alert, watching the two brothers fight at every possible chance, dreading the Summer Solstice deadline Zeus had set for his brother to return the Bolt.

However, he didn't expect the entire Olympian Council to be silent, yes even Apollo and Dionysius, while watching Zeus and Poseidon stare each other down. It was a bit unnerving, to say the least.

"Hello Hermes," Hera said after a few seconds, since her husband had not bothered to greet his son and formally open the Council meeting. "What kept you?"

"My job, stepmother," Hermes sighed, leaning back into his throne. "I've not stopped running since Winter Solstice. What's going on?"

"Poseidon claimed a half-blood child," Athena said wearily, and Hermes felt a sudden urge to bang his head against the back of his throne. Dear Fates, why? Why was this happening right now?

"Use her name, Athena," Poseidon spit out, not moving his gaze.

"She should not exist, you broke the oath!" Zeus hissed out, electricity sparking out of his usually neatly trimmed hair and beard.

"Need I remind you of Thalia _and_ Jason?" Poseidon hissed right back, his green eyes gaining a vengeful spark that put every god and goddess in the room on the edge. The last time Poseidon's eyes had that spark, Troy's walls were obliterated in the massive wave. "You not only broke it twice, _but_ with the same woman, and in different aspect!"

"Neptune, Jupiter and Pluto never swore the oath," Zeus growled, flickering slightly before supporting his head, and Hermes instantly mirrored his father, pushing Mercury back. Damn their little schizophrenia case! "And you visited the girl!"

"Like every person with a child here hadn't done the same when they were babies!" Poseidon shouted, standing from his throne, and Hermes clutched the armrests of his throne as the Mount Olympus shook under the fury of the Earthshaker. "You're a filthy hypocrite, brother!"

"I am the King of Gods!" Zeus stood up as well, dark clouds appearing out of nowhere and icy winds blowing through the throne room, and Hermes exchanged panicked looks with the rest of the Council members.

Apollo and Artemis were clutching their bows, ready to react at the moment's notice, Athena and Ares were already halfway out of their seats with their spear and sword respectively, and even Dionysius, Hephaestus, Demeter, Hera and Aphrodite looked ready to start a war. The two brothers were truly a terrifying sight: with their charismatic auras and powers, Hermes could feel his own powers reacting, putting him in a _fight-or-flight_ mode he had experienced only once, in the Gigantomachy.

"Do you think that little fact puts you above _your own rules_ , _baby brother?_ " Poseidon sneered, injecting just enough venom and ice in his voice to make Zeus take a step back.

" _ENOUGH!_ " Hestia finally screamed from her place at the hearth, forcing her brothers to dodge javelins of fire and break the fight. "HAVEN'T YOU DESTROYED ENOUGH?!"

As usual, Poseidon was the first one to calm down, taking a deep breath before returning to his seat, gripping his Trident with enough strength to make his knuckles pale. "I'm sorry, Hestia," he apologized in a whisper, bowing his head to the Guardian of the Hearth of Olympus. "I… I forgot myself."

Zeus took a bit longer to calm down, static still escaping from his beard at random intervals, but eventually he took a seat as well, bowing his head in apology to his sister. "My apologies, sister."

"Your apologies mean nothing if you do not stop fighting like this," Hestia crossed her arms, which would look quite silly on the mortal eight-year-old, but she made it look like a mother scolding her children. "Screaming and shouting will not return your Master Bolt, dear brother."

"No, but _she_ will," Zeus said through his teeth, and the gender pronoun finally registered with Hermes.

"Wait, Uncle P, you have a daughter?"

"Yes Hermes," Poseidon was still tense in his seat, but at least he was no longer giving out death glares. "Persephone Jackson."

 _Persephone Jackson_.

Hermes mouthed to himself, feeling out the name. It was a bit strange to hear his half-sister's name accompanied by a mortal surname, but somehow it fit. Just like his older sister and the demigoddess' namesake, Persephone Jackson created chaos and discord between the elder Olympians. This time, however, it wasn't a battle between death and nature; it looked like a start of the bloody war between sea and sky, and Hermes wasn't sure he liked the girl for it. Sure, she could be innocent, but this type of thing would be written in Olympians' psyche for a long, long time.

"She is named after my Kore?" Demeter asked, perking up slightly, and Hermes wanted to groan. The last thing Olympus needed was _another_ elder Olympian to join the fight!

"Sally wanted to endear her to Hades, and I had nothing against it," Poseidon sighed, suddenly looking very tired. "She'll need every favor she can get."

Hermes could sympathize with his uncle; the monsters would be drawn to the scent of the sea like moths to the flame, and there was no greater pain than the one of the parent that had lost their child. Ancient Rules or no, Hermes could still remember every child he sired, and how they died.

" _You_ had nothing against it?" Zeus' tone was dangerously quiet. "Have you broken another one of the rules besides the oath, dear brother?"

"Sally was clear-sighted," _you cretin_ , Hermes tacked the unspoken insult at the end of Poseidon's sentence. "She knew who and what I was the moment she saw me. And I repeat, you hypocrite. I know you told Beryl who you were."

For the first time, Hermes could spot his father sweating slightly, probably due to the killer glare Hera was sending him. "How -"

"I ran into her once, shortly after Thalia ran away," Poseidon said with icy calm that mortals accurately labeled 'calm before the storm'. "She confused me with you."

It was an easy mistake to make, Hermes mused as he checked his phone for any urgent deliveries and finding none. If Poseidon was dimming the aura around him, you wouldn't know the difference between him and his younger brother unless you checked their eyes. In fact, all three brothers looked ridiculously similar when they went into the mortal world; the only true difference were their skin tones, eye color and clothing choices.

"Shouldn't we return to the actual reason why you called for the meeting, Father?" Hermes finally spoke, biting his lip at the thought of the ever-growing pile of mail waiting for him. He had to attend every meeting, and he thanked Fates every year when there were none of the 'emergency meetings' like now. "My duties are waiting for me."

"Yeah, we do have things to do beside watching you and Uncle P argue," Apollo seconded, removing the shades from his eyes, his customary smile gone from his features. Artemis nodded in rare agreement with her twin brother, and one by one, the Council members urged Zeus to hurry up and finish the meeting.

Zeus did not look all too happy, but after a warning look from both Hera and Hestia, he relented and spoke. "As you know, Poseidon had broken the oath," the god in question rolled his eyes but refrained from commenting, "and sired his first demigod daughter – Persephone Jackson. She agreed to go on a quest to retrieve my Bolt. _No one_ ," and here Zeus sent a particularly pointed look to his brother, "is to interfere. _No one._ No side quests, no helpful hints, nothing. She has to succeed on her own."

"And if she goes through the official channels?" Aphrodite asked idly, checking her fingernails. "If she asks for a quick delivery, or directions in the wilderness? Or if she runs into one of us during the quest in our natural domains?"

It was a fair question, although Hermes suspected she couldn't wait to mess with her love life – she loved stringing Poseidon's children around, mostly because the boys were, without a single exception, gorgeous, and daughters, well… Hermes _was_ old enough to remember Rhode, and how beautiful she looked in her wedding dress.

"Only if she runs into you or goes through official channels," Zeus granted, but it was not hard to see his reluctance. "But no delaying her."

Aphrodite acknowledged the order with a little dip, but Hermes wasn't fooled; he had seen a devious smile on her lips, and he was afraid.

"Stay away from my daughter's love life," Poseidon said unexpectedly, fixing his gaze on Aphrodite, and _man!_ That gaze sent shivers through Hermes, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Apollo share his predicament. "Let her choose."

"Tch, ruining my fun, Poseidon," Aphrodite pouted. "She's too gorgeous for me not to mess with, at least a little!"

"The brat isn't that pretty, Aphy," Dionysius drawled, closing his magazine. "Not yet, anyway."

"Yet," Aphrodite nodded. "But you forget, she's twelve. She has time to grow into it."

"Not forever," Athena reminded them all, and the dark looks were exchanged between the Olympians. The girl was truly born under the unlucky star: with the Great Prophecy dangling over her like a Damocles' sword, and now the theft of Master Bolt being pinned on her…

"Leave her love life alone, Aphrodite," Poseidon repeated his warning. "Her life is practically scripted for her, at least until her sixteenth birthday – she deserves at least some choice."

"Don't worry Poseidon, I won't hurt her, I promise," Aphrodite sashayed out of her throne and up to Poseidon's, where she leaned on his arm to look his straight in the eye. "I only want her to feel a bit more normal in this world."

"And every girl has an open invitation with my Hunters, Uncle," Artemis called, standing up from her seat. "You can count on that. Speaking of which, Father, are we done? Zoe is calling me; my Hunters wish to celebrate their latest kill and the initiation of their new sister."

"Yes, yes," Zeus sighed, slumping in his seat. "You may all go."

Hermes was instantly out of his seat, flashing to deliver some mail to Aeolus, but he didn't forget the name _Persephone Jackson._ She was shaping up to be even worse than her cousins and half-brothers, which said quite a bit.

* * *

The first piece of mail from Persephone Jackson Hermes had an honor of delivering was a bit strange. It was a heavy parcel, with a delivery slip that made Hermes both laugh out loud.

 _To:_

 _Gods_

 _Mount Olympus_

 _Empire State Building, 600_ _th_ _floor_

 _New York, NY_

 _WITH BEST WISHES,_

 _SEPHIE JACKSON_

He handed the parcel to his Father and flew off before Zeus had the time to open and check what was inside, but Apollo called him a few hours later to tell him.

"Medusa's head, dude. Like, what?" Apollo could not stop snickering over the phone, and Hermes did his best not to copy, but failed spectacularly. "Pops looked ready to blast her to smithereens, but OFC Uncle P wouldn't allow it. 'She's merely expressing her opinion, brother.' Can you believe it?!"

"I still don't believe it, and I delivered the thing personally!" Hermes laughed as he sorted out the time-sensitive deliveries and prepared them for transport. "What was the reaction of the others?"

"Aphrodite was a bit disgusted, but she's Aphrodite," Hermes could hear Apollo's eye-roll. "Athena looked a bit constipated, Ares was grinning like a lunatic, and the rest couldn't give a damn. Uncle P? He looked damn near proud of his 'little Princess'."

"I can bet. Rebellious as he is, of course he'd be proud." Hermes shook his head and took the phone off his ear and switched it to loudspeaker to check on the messages.

"So, any interesting messages in the last couple of days, besides the Medusa head?"

"Nope, just a missive from Dad to Uncle Hades."

Apollo groaned. " _Again?_ "

"Yup," Hermes sighed. "Uncle H is getting more creative with the insults, though. He told me to tell him to take a bottle of chill pills and please not die, he'd rather Dad not annoy him in the Underworld in addition to Olympus meetings."

"NO WAY!" Apollo howled from the other side of the line, and Hermes could picture him collapsed on his bed and rolling around. "NO WAY! Dude, Uncle P and Uncle H have the best sense of humor _ever!_ "

Hermes permitted himself a small smirk: he knew that far before most of the other Olympians. Neither of his uncles had a habit of shooting the Messenger God, but they always told him what they really thought of the messages they received from Zeus.

"Gotta go, Demeter is bugging me again," Hermes ended the conversation quickly and set off again. The work of the Messenger God is never over.

* * *

The second delivery he made for Persephone 'call me Sephie' Jackson was not so strange in content, as in the receiver.

She had called for his services a day before the Summer Solstice, from Las Vegas. It was a quiet and polite prayer, ' _please Lord Hermes, could you take my message to Lord Hades?_ ', but Hermes had still been startled. Demigods rarely prayed to him directly, and when they did, they usually sent mail to their fellow demigods and not gods. Even stranger, she wanted him to take a message to their Uncle H, the god she was going to visit soon anyways, so why send him a letter in advance?

He appeared in Las Vegas, about thirty feet away from the location from which Sephie prayed to him, in the dirty alleyway next to Lotus Hotel and Casino. Feeling a bit worried, he stepped out of the alley and spotted three children huddled next to the public telephone booth. The blonde girl was looking down the street, the curly-haired boy was shuffling awkwardly in the place, and the black-haired girl's gaze was jumping around the place until it landed on him, and she smiled and waved to him, her green eyes sparkling.

Hermes' breath whooshed out of his lungs, and he started walking towards her without any conscious thought. It couldn't be anyone but Sephie Jackson; those green eyes were unique to Poseidon and his children, and she recognized him on sight. Dionysius was such a liar: the girl may not be breathtakingly gorgeous, but she was pretty enough to make any mortal, and quite a few immortal, men stop and stare after her, even at the tender age of twelve.

"Lord Hermes," Sephie greeted him cheerfully as she detached herself from her friends and walked till they met a few feet away from her quest party.

"Famous Sephie Jackson," a little teasing note entered Hermes' voice. "Nice to meet you, sweetie! You really know how to make a mess upstairs, you know!"

"Ah, about that," Sephie scratched the back of her head, chuckling nervously, "I hope nobody got too angry?"

"If they did, they wouldn't do anything with Uncle P watching over you like a hawk. He gave Ares quite the trash talking after that little stunt he pulled in Denver," Hermes chuckled, extending his arm. "I hear you have some mail for me to deliver?"

"Yup!" the girl pulled out a white envelope out of her pocket. "For Lord Hades. And Dad did that?"

"You bet – you're his little Princess, and he's insanely protective of you," Hermes shook his head and tucked the envelope in his bag. The curiosity in him urged him to check what Sephie had written, but he stopped himself. No reading private correspondence. "How urgent is this message, sweetie?"

"Um, it's not 'this second' urgent, but sooner the better," Sephie shrugged, looking rather uncomfortable. "If you can, of course."

"Of course I can, sweetie!" Hermes pouted, a little offended by her mistrust in his skills. "It's my duty!"

"No, no, I didn't mean like that!" Sephie raised her palms in apology, her tone frantic. "I mean, if you have other, more urgent messages -"

"Sweetie, only war declarations, missives from my Dad and time-sensitive deliveries rate as 'more urgent' in my book," Hermes laughed, now understanding what she wanted to say, and felt a little lighter on inside. She did not demand his service, and worried about inserting her own message in his busy schedule. Seriously, why did she have to be both pretty and kind?! "Uncle H will get your message in two minutes, tops – I am going down there anyway, so it's no trouble!"

"Thank you, Lord Hermes," Sephie exhaled, smiling brilliantly again, and Hermes' heart positively _melted_ at the sight. Damn Uncle P, and damn Sephie Jackson! "Have to run!"

"Good luck!" Hermes shouted after her and took off, his destination being Underworld.

* * *

When he came for his third delivery from Sephie Jackson, Hermes was cursing her; when he left her to deliver her message, he was cursing his own curiosity.

The girl had managed to return the Master Bolt on time, thank Fates, and the threat of the war between Zeus and Poseidon was gone. Every Council member could breathe a little easier now, and have their normal Summer Solstice party, courtesy of Muses. Most of the minor Gods and nymphs did not know why the Olympian Council partied harder than ever, but none of the members was telling, too relieved to really care about their behavior.

Aphrodite was belly-dancing between Ares and Hephaestus, who weren't glaring at each other for a change; Hera and Zeus were slow-dancing, finally looking like married couple; Apollo and Artemis were twirling around each other, their bickering so toned down Hermes had the urge to call from Dionysius to check their head. Speaking of the god, he was relaxing on the lounge, finally able to drink and distribute wine, next to Hestia and Demeter, who were flitting in and out of the kitchens with stacks of food. Wonder of all wonders, however, were Athena and Poseidon, who looked like they were discussing something on a civilized level in the corner of the room, standing so close to each other Hermes wanted to start singing 'sitting in the tree' song and get them to kiss.

All that partying and pairing up, though, left Hermes without a partner of his own to share joy with. He briefly entertained the thought of sneaking Luke and Stolls into the party before dismissing the thought, and set off in the direction of the archer twins.

"Oi, Hermes! Come here, dude!" Apollo shouted over the music as he spotted Hermes weaving through the crowd.

"Hey Apollo, Artemis," Hermes smiled, sliding through the crowd and ending up at Apollo's shoulder, opposite Artemis. "Good party?"

"Definitely," Apollo sighed contentedly, wrapping an arm around Hermes' shoulders. "After all those meetings and watching Pops and Uncle P shout at each other, we needed this."

"Apollo is right for once," Artemis shook her head with a smile. "No more war, no needing to decide which side I'd be on."

"Got that right. So tell us dude," Apollo smirked, looking around to check for eavesdroppers, "Sephie Jackson. How gorgeous is she?"

"Apollo!" Artemis smacked her twin over his head. "She's a child, and a maiden! Leave her alone!"

"Whoa, sis, relax!" Apollo rubbed the back of his head. "That hurt! But seriously, how much of a trouble will she be?"

"Tons," Hermes grumbled, pressing his temples to get rid of the images of the girl. "D was lying: the girl is more than just pretty. Remember Rhode?" Apollo nodded. "Well, she's already more beautiful than her."

"Is she?" an unwanted voice asked, and Hermes whirled around to see Hera standing behind him. "Is she more beautiful than Rhode?"

"Jeez, Hera, don't scare us like that!" Apollo clutched his chest dramatically, but Hera paid him no mind, her focus entirely on Hermes, who shuffled on his feet.

"Yeah," Hermes admitted at the end. "I mean, it's not just beauty; she simply, I don't know, draws you in, makes you want to do anything for her. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought she was a young goddess."

Hera nodded, her eyes misty in the corners, and left abruptly. Apollo, Artemis and Hermes exchanged confused looks before returning to the party.

It wouldn't have been too strange, had it not happened again, two days later. This time, Demeter stopped him before he took off to deliver his next package.

"Is Hera telling the truth? About Poseidon's daughter?"

"What is Hera saying about Sephie?" Hermes asked warily. Hera never showed interest in demigods she didn't want dead, and he didn't want Sephie to die because of a jealous Goddess.

"That she looks like – that she's prettier than Rhode and Kympoleia," Demeter hastily corrected herself, and Hermes' eyes narrowed. _That she looks like – whom?_

"Well, she certainly is prettier," Hermes shrugged finally, mentally scolding Martha for teasing George _again_. "And a lot less like a damsel in distress than her sisters." Demeter exhaled, closing her eyes, and nodded before leaving. Hermes looked at his aunt's retreating back for a moment before taking off again, suspicions rising.

Poseidon had nearly blasted Ares to Tartarus for hurting Sephie in L.A., and landed Apollo with rather… creative injuries in the infirmary; the rumor went around Olympus Hera yelled at Ares for two hours straight over Sephie, and that Hestia refused to tend to Apollo apart from fixing his ankles and wrists so they would face the right direction again and stopping the worst of the bleeding; Zeus very nearly destroyed an apartment building in Manhattan with his Bolt after having a chat with Poseidon about Sephie.

Whatever happened in the Throne Room between Poseidon, Zeus and Sephie when demigoddess returned the Master Bolt, caused the elder Olympians to form ranks around her. They protected her, asked about her, and worried about her, and Hermes really wanted to know why.

The perfect opportunity to find out presented itself in the prayer Sephie sent for another mail delivery to Hades. He appeared just behind Cabin 3 and walked around to the front door, where Sephie stood leaning on the doorpost, clutching a blue envelope in her hand.

"Hey, sweetie!" Hermes shouted, and Sephie startled and went for the bronze hairpin in her hair before registering who greeted her, and that _infernal_ ( _beautiful_ ) smile appeared on her face.

"Hello, Lord Hermes!"

"Nuh-uh, cousin, just Hermes," Hermes chuckled and leaned on the other doorpost. "How are you?"

"Alive," Sephie joked, before turning serious. "I'm… okay. Better than before, now that Mum is back."

"That's good. I hear some mail is in order?" Hermes glanced at the envelope addressed to 'Hades Aidoneus'. "Whoa sweetie, that's terribly formal way of addressing Uncle H."

Sephie dropped her gaze to the envelope and blushed slightly before looking up again. "Mum said to include that – politeness and all that," she shrugged, handing over the envelope and turning towards the entrance of the Cabin. "No rush for this one."

Hermes was a bit disappointed she was leaving so soon, so he grabbed her before she could go too far. "Wait, I need to ask you something."

Sephie turned around, evidently surprised. "I-sure? Ask away."

"Why are Dad and his siblings so obsessed with you?" tumbled out of Hermes mouth, and Sephie frowned.

"Oh. I think it's because I look like Grandma Rhea; or at least that's what Dad told me. Now do me a favor, _cousin_ , and go talk with your kids," she turned around again, freeing her arm from his grasp. "I worry about them."

Hermes blinked at the unexpected harshness in her voice. "Sephie?"

"Just-just go greet them," Sephie sighed after a moment. "Believe me, it'll mean a lot to them. And little upgrades to Cabin 11 wouldn't go amiss."

Hermes frowned, weighting how much interference he could get away with under Zeus' nose. "I can't, you know that. But I can repair Cabin 11."

Sephie sighed and shook her head, but said nothing else. "Very well. Bye, cousin." And she closed the door, leaving the Messenger God to look at the door like an idiot before Martha reminded him he had a cabin to fix and mail to deliver.

* * *

 _Later, Hermes would look at the strange request Sephie made and slam his head against the wall. She knew – or at least suspected – Luke's treachery._

 ** _Damn you Sephie Jackson,_** _Hermes thought as he felt his heart constrict with pain of losing his favorite son to Titans._ _ **Why didn't you tell me?**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: 30 reviews, 49 favorites, 54 followers and nearly 1,600 views. Now you're scaring me a bit!  
**_


	5. Reckless heroine

_**Tick tock, tick tock, you guys rock! Just when I think I maxed out on the reader love and that you guys can't surprise me anymore, you manage to do so! Thank you for your reviews, views, favs and favorites you simply shower me with!**_

 _ **I got a very, very good question from amazingAwesomeness on last chapter - pairings. When I started this, I honestly didn't think of the pairings. Infatuations like Hermes' and some others, sure, but actual pairings? Nope, not at all. So right now, I'm in a bit of bind. Do you guys want me to pair Sephie up? I have a poll with some choices on my profile page, and you can also put your ideas in reviews, but please do it before 7th chapter.  
**_

 _ **Also, how averse are you to me changing PJO? I know I already deviated a bit, but I'm talking about changes in the plot - not the outcome, but there are some things I'd really like to work with in the Titan's Curse. You don't need to make up your mind immediately - next chapter is a Poseidon omake (yes! It's coming!) so...**_

 _ **Sea of Monsters, here we come!**_

* * *

Hades stretched his wrist from the last batch of paperwork he had to sign, laid down the fountain pen and sent the files away, clearing his desk from all clutter besides the small three-slot letter stand with dozen or so letters in its back slot, none in the middle and one in the front one.

 _Has it really been a year since he met Sephie Jackson?_

It was difficult to believe, but the proof was staring at him. He dragged the letter stand to himself and went over the letters in the back slot with his finger. One letter for every month Hades had not seen Sephie in person. He had the stand enchanted by Hecate centuries ago, a pair of stands that allowed the owners to send mail without having to rely on Hermes. He never gave it to Persephone, since he never had to hide his correspondence with his wife, but he thought about his rare and far-between mortal lovers and found himself wanting to check on his children every now and then.

Sephie was not his lover, but their correspondence definitely needed to stay as low-key as possible. With Poseidon looking ready to incinerate just about everyone who looked at his little Sea Princess with less than pure thoughts, Hades feared his brother might read too much into his banter with Sephie and do something he'd later regret.

He picked out the letter dated to 22nd of December, day after the Winter Solstice. Campers had not attended this meeting; Zeus was still smarting over the fact the traitor son of Hermes stole his Bolt during the Council meeting and forbade all mortal visits to Olympus until they brought the boy to Olympus in chains.

 _Hi Uncle!_

 _Wow, I can't believe it's been nearly six months since we met and I got tossed in this whole mess with Greek mythology. It seems so unreal in retrospect. I mean, kids in school usually brag about having famous mummies, daddies and relatives, and I find myself wanting to say: But my Dad is the literal King of the Seas, and my Uncles rule the sky and the Underworld! Don't worry, I don't_ actually _brag – I doubt anyone would believe me, and revealing our world to unsuspecting mortals would probably result in Uncle Z blasting me!_

 _No monster attacks so far is making me feel a bit edgy, though. It's been over four months, and not a single monster has approached me, either in school or outside. Everyone told me my scent is, like, ridiculously strong, so why no monsters? Are they scared of me, or is there something around me blocking them from coming?_

 _Tyson is feeling a bit down because of Christmas, so my mum and I invited him over to our house to spend winter hols. You should've seen that avalanche of tears and hugs – the big guy nearly broke my ribs with his hug!_

 _That's all from me. Send my hellos to Lady Persephone!_

 _Yours,_

 _Sephie Jackson_

Hades smiled and placed the letter back into its slot, carefully sliding it between the one dated to 18th of November and 19th of January before picking up the lone letter in the front slot. The date read 17th of June, indicating it was sent yesterday evening. He took the letter opener and easily slid the sharp edge through the closed top of the envelope, letting the letter fall out. This time, two pieces of paper fell out: the actual letter and a glossy square of paper Hades had no trouble recognizing as photo paper. He first picked up the photo and flipped it, revealing smiling Sephie in the middle, grumpy-looking Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and the grinning boy Hades guessed was Tyson on her sides.

The first thing that caught his eye was the single eye Tyson sported. So _that_ was why no monsters attacked his little niece: no lone monster was insane enough to go near a Cyclops that had an amicable relationship with a demigod. It seemed his little brother took precautions and sent young Cyclops to watch over his daughter and help her as much as he could in deflecting other monsters' attention from the girl.

The second thing he spotted was the ugly look Annabeth seemed to give Tyson over Sephie's head – the child probably had terrible experience with Cyclopes.

The third, and probably the most worrying thing on the picture, was a tiny scar mark peeking from underneath of Sephie's camp T-shirt's collar. Hades looked at the scar mark more closely, and recognized the scar left by a sharp-edged object, most commonly a blade of sorts. Did the traitor mark her, or was it the 'gift' Ares left her with in L.A.? It was impossible to tell.

Pushing the thought away, he reached for the letter, unfolding it and smoothing it out before settling in his chair to read it in peace.

 _Hey Uncle!_

 _A year has gone by, and I'm at the camp again, as you can see from the photo I included. Remember when I complained about monsters leaving me alone? Well, I really shouldn't have. I got a bunch of Laistrygonians a few days ago, and managed to blow up my school gym. I know, I know, I really shouldn't have, but hey, between blowing stuff up and getting kicked out and_ _ **dying**_ **…** _well, the choice was pretty easy to make. Not to mention Annabeth stalked me in the school while wearing her invisibility cap. Yep, you read that right. Annabeth stalked me. What in the world?!_

 _Speaking of monsters, I finally figured out the reason why no one attacked – Tyson is my Cyclops brother. Apparently, he prayed to my – sorry, our – Dad to give him a sibling so he wouldn't feel so alone, and next morning – bam! Sephie Jackson enters the scene, and no other monster wants to come close! I'm a bit angry at Dad for not giving me any heads-up, or Tyson for not telling me he is a Cyclops, but I can't really stay angry at the big guy or Dad. It's not like Dad's allowed to contact me, and Tyson is just too big of a sweetheart for me to be angry with him._

 _Also, who in the universe thought Tantalus was a good replacement for Chiron? Okay, before you ask me why would Chiron need to be replaced at all – that old horse is the_ _ **best**_ **–** _Thalia's tree got poisoned. It was most likely Luke, but since certain_ _ **someone**_ _refuses to acknowledge Grandpa is waking up, Mr. D had to blame someone, and Chiron and Argus were the best scapegoats. By the way, why didn't anyone tell me Chiron's technically my uncle? I would've gotten him a Christmas present, too!_

 _Anyway. Thalia's tree is poisoned, and the barrier is falling, so monsters attack on regular basis. I mean, I had to help fight off Colchis bulls the moment I arrived at the camp! Not cool, not cool at all. (Pun intended. xD) And yesterday, at chariot racing, Stymphalian birds attacked us while we were all racing, and Tyson, Annabeth and I had to fight them off with Chiron's opera collection. Do you know what Tantalus did? Sent the three of us on KP duty, telling us_ _ **we**_ _aggravated Stymphalian birds by our bad chariot driving. What a jackass! (No scolding me for language – I deserve to vent after dealing with that moron.)_

 _To put the cherry on the top, we need the Golden Fleece to heal Thalia, and Tantalus just forbade me from going after it, choosing Clarisse, daughter of Ares, even though she has next to no experience with quests! Okay, I only went on one quest, but finding Uncle Z's favorite toy has to count for something, right? Nope, not if you ask Tantalus. I'm just a little girl, who found the Master Bolt by chance, and she stays home because she'll mess everything up. His words, not mine. Urgh!_

 _But I bet I'll be the one laughing in the end – whoever said I need to follow every single rule, particularly when the said rule is laid down by an idiot? I'll sneak out and go after the Fleece, if only to make sure Clarisse gets it back safely. I even know where it is – 30, 31, 70, 75. Okay, I'm not precisely sure where that is, but I'm pretty sure those are coordinates of the Fleece. If they aren't, I'll call the Grey Sisters' taxi and strangle them myself. (Don't ask. Please, please, don't. I get sick just thinking about that ride.)_

 _Okay, I'm done. Wish me luck Uncle, and if I die, can I get a streamlined pass to the Elysium?_

 _Yours,_

 _Sephie Jackson_

Hades took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose, before exhaling and pushing the letter away so he wouldn't crumple it. Why did his niece insist on constantly putting her life in danger? Did she even factor in the elder Olympians or her father's wrath if she died? Probably not, the silly girl didn't even understand what kind of impact she left on the gods. She was more than just daughter of Poseidon; she was their little Rhea clone, girl who everyone felt either romantically or platonically drawn to. She became the lynchpin that drew the family closer with every twist and turn she made.

Her ignorance did not mean she had any right to make them worry so much. He remembered the look on Zeus' face during the Winter Solstice when her name was mentioned: that strange mix of devotion, confusion and protectiveness every child of Kronos and Rhea felt for their missing mother. If anything happened to her… Hades shuddered at the thought. He knew he himself would be one of the first to go up in the arms, letting out every monster and horror he kept locked in Tartarus to torment her killer. Poseidon's wrath he didn't even need to imagine: he had seen in Trojan war, and Zeus would be no different. He had no doubt Hera, Hestia and Demeter would join in the rampage, letting their domains go wild.

Their little Sephie needed to live, even if she would ultimately destroy them. Better to be killed by her, then by someone else.

* * *

Four days that passed between Sephie's first and second June letter Hades spent pacing around the Underworld, snapping at everyone and alternately cursing Sephie for being so reckless and Poseidon for not keeping it in his pants. Most of the Underworld dwellers avoided the Lord of Dead, with the sole exception of Thanatos and Alecto, who still did their reports and tried to wheedle out the reason of his terrible mood without much success.

All of his fury at his own impotence and impatience ended the moment he entered his study of the eve of 21st of June and found an envelope resting in the first slot of the letter stand. Scrambling for the letter opener, Hades had to stop himself before he tore the letter apart from his impatience.

 _Hullo Uncle,_

 _I'm so, so sorry for worrying you. Dad and Auntie Hestia scolded me a lot about leaving you hanging like that – apparently you caused no less than three earthquakes in San Fran area – but I'm okay. I'm not coming to your place for a permanent stay anytime soon!_

Hades leaned back, exhaling in relief. The letter had quite a bit written after that, but Hades took a moment to just enjoy the fact his little niece was safe and sound in the Camp Half-Blood before returning to the letter.

 _The quest went fine – not exactly brilliantly, but we finished it. We found the Golden Fleece! Guess where we found it? Polyphemus' Island, in the Sea of Monsters, 30 degrees and 31 second to the north, 70 degrees and 75 seconds to the west. Took me a few seconds on Clarisse's ship before I realized I had perfect bearings at the sea, and that I knew exactly where 30, 31, 70, 75 were. Now I get it why so many ships and planes go down in the Bermuda Triangle!_

 _It was not all smooth sailing, though. Before we ran into Clarisse, who by the way saved our collective behinds from Hydra –_

Hades choked at the nonchalant way Sephie wrote about being saved by Ares' child from a _Hydra_ , of all things!

– _we made a pitstop at_ _ **Princess Andromeda**_ **,** _a cruise ship I thought would help us get down to one of the ports where we could catch up with Clarisse. Well, I thought wrong. Or right, depending on what I focus on._

 _We met Luke._

Hades gritted his teeth at the name of the thief, before noticing how shakily the letters lambda, upsilon, kappa and epsilon that made up the name 'Luke' were written. What happened to Sephie?

 _He… it wasn't a nice meeting. Annabeth, Tyson and I were listening to him talking with Agrius and Oreius, when he caught us, and captured us – temporarily, thank the gods. But even that short amount of time was far too much. Uncle, he has the golden sarcophagus on the ship, and he's using it to 'raise Kronos, bit by bit', to quote Luke._

Hades closed his eyes, took a deep breath and counted to ten. It was no use throwing a temper tantrum now; the traitor was who knows where, and Sephie was safe for now.

 _I have no idea how he got that sarcophagus, or how in Tartarus it works, but I'm scared, Uncle. I'm scared because I don't think we're ready for this. With Uncle Z being stubborn and forbidding any sort of godly interference, I'm not sure we can survive what's coming. Not to mention –_

This part of the letter was blotted out, like Sephie wrote something down and had a change of mind at the last moment. Frowning, Hades snapped his fingers and cleared up the ink, only to push the letter away, fury rising in his chest. _How dare he?!_

 _Not to mention, he offered us all to switch sides, and for me to sit beside him as the Queen after the gods are deposed._

Ground vibrated under Hades' fury, and various precious jewels melted around the room, while the god tried to reign in his tumultuous emotions. That filthy, lecherous… Hades knew Luke Castellan was about seven years older than Sephie, and probably had no romantic interest in her, so the offer had to have come from Kronos himself.

 _How dare Father do this?! Offer something like that to Sephie?!_

It seemed his Father had noticed just how similar Sephie and Mother looked. Hades took a deep breath, digging nails into his palms, and sat down into the chair again. He and Poseidon would need to have a little chat about Sephie's safety come this Winter Council.

The letter was not over, though.

 _On the more cheerful note, Thalia is alive! Yup, our resident tree-girl is no longer a tree! It's both good and bad news, but I'm sticking with the good news. The Golden Fleece did a bit too god of job, and healed Thalia to the point where she could leave her pine tree without any injuries. She's completely confused of course: she aged much more slowly – she looks around 15, and not 20-ish as she should – so she couldn't really understand why Annabeth looked so close to her age. But, it does leave us with that tiny problem of the Great Prophecy. Thalia's now older than me, and by all rights, she'll be the one Prophecy talks about. (Not that I know what does the Prophecy say, because_ _ **someone**_ _is not telling me anything.)_

Hades chuckled, shaking his head. He refused to tell Sephie anything about the Prophecy, and apparently Chiron decided to do so as well. Thalia's awakening, though… it was a problem. Hades could stand the thought of Sephie being the prophecy child – she was sweet and kind, and tried to help everyone – but Thalia? No. Maybe it was time to bring out Nico and Bianca out of the Lotus Hotel and Casino, and send a discreet message to Sephie to keep an eye on them. Hades knew she would treat them with respect and kindness his children deserved as children of Big Three and her cousins.

 _Well, I'll see you for my birthday again, Uncle! Stay safe!_

 _Yours,_

 _Sephie Jackson_

"See you soon, Sephie Jackson," Hades smiled, folding the letter and dragging over a leftover paper and his fountain pen to write an answer.

Yes, he will send Alecto to the Lotus Hotel, get Nico and Bianca out, and send the children to school on the East Coast. Then he will signal Sephie she had cousins out there – knowing how much the girl valued family, she'll go instantly after them – and let the Fates do the rest of the work. He had full confidence in Sephie's success. She knew better than anyone else what kind of effect being a child of one of sons of Kronos was, and she will be a good role model for both Nico and Bianca.

Even with the snags and the Prophecy looming just out of the sight, Hades couldn't help but feel elated. He was not a sideline character in this conflict: with the bond he and Sephie shared, he had the guarantee he would find himself on the front lines, and maybe have the chance to prove everyone he could be a hero as well.

* * *

 _ **And final bits of A/N:**_

 _ **Empryexl: No, Hermes has NO idea. As for Poseidon, next chapter!**_

 _ **crazyman844: Sephie is Poseidon's little girl, his little Princess. I think that answers your question.**_

 _ **lightwalnut84: So, it's my fault? *smirks* Then I guess it's a good thing for you I'm ready to cover the side quests as well as main storyline!**_


	6. Omake: Poseidon - My little Sea Princess

_**This one... I apologize for the wait on this chapter. It fought me on every turn. Poseidon is freaking hard to write! Not to mention he's the only god whose characterization always felt incomplete in PJO, in my opinion. I gave my best, but... I'm not sure if I succeeded in portraying him.  
**_

 _ **I see you've been active in the poll and in reviewing about the pairing. You have until next chapter to decide, so hurry up! I'll definitely be changing Titan's Curse, though. xD I have some requests, and I'll factor them in, but I don't guarantee anything.**_

 _ **3,500+ views, 64 favs, 76 follows, and 48 reviews. Dam guys, I love you and your support!**_

* * *

Not being able to be close to his children while they grew up was one thing Poseidon regretted the most. His immortal children grew up way too fast, which was quite normal for the gods, but it made him miss out on so many things, and he couldn't get to his mortal children because of Zeus' laws.

Not being able to see his little warrior Princess grow up was not just a regret, thought; it was a raw wound in his heart, and it drove him crazy with need to go to the surface and check on his Sephie. Thankfully, he only succumbed to the urge once – his little girl's life will be difficult enough without monsters sensing Poseidon's aura sticking to her – but it was a moment Poseidon would cherish forever. With those chubby cheeks, fluttering eyelashes and inky black hair already forming ringlets around her face, Persephone Amphitrite Jackson looked like a newborn, wingless angel - not that she needed the wings, they were overrated anyway in Poseidon's opinion.

In short, little Sephie stole her father's heart without even trying, and Poseidon didn't give a damn about the fact.

No matter how painful he found his distance from her, Poseidon managed to maintain it by placating his guilty conscience with thoughts of what would happen if his baby was found by the monsters. He would never forgive himself if his own recklessness got Sephie killed. Sally knew how to protect their child, thanks to her sight, so Poseidon would not have to worry about mourning his baby girl for a while. He desperately ignored the little voice whispering from the edges of his mind about his daughter's inevitable death. She was no immortal, after all, and if the monsters and the Prophecy don't kill her, age would, and Poseidon knew his older brother would never return him his baby, even if Poseidon were fool enough to ask.

Some laws were not created to be broken, Poseidon knew it firsthand, and it was one of the main reasons why he and Hades got along so well. Unlike their brat of little brother, they never dared mess with the natural flow of the universe.

It was the main reason why he overreacted when Zeus accused him of stealing his Master Bolt. The three brothers had their own symbols of power that meshed well with their domains and balanced out the scales of power perfectly, so why would Poseidon feel the need to steal the stupid Bolt? Besides, he was not the one for treachery and thievery – his and his children's most notorious fatal flaw was loyalty, for Creator's sake! Not to mention everyone from the highest reaches of Aether to the deepest depths of Tartarus knew where Poseidon's loyalties were – with his family, and Zeus was still family, no matter how estranged they could become at times.

That being said, he could barely believe how quickly his baby brother accused him of stealing the Bolt, and his first impulse had been to deny any and all accusations to the bitter end. It was only later that he realized who would be the one blamed, once the truth got out, and he wanted to curse himself. Sephie had nothing to do with this nightmare, but Zeus wouldn't give a damn and accuse her of taking the Bolt!

 _Oh, Sephie, I'm so, so sorry. Will you ever forgive your fool of a father?_

Assaulted by the merciless self-guilt, Poseidon refused to go back to Olympus after the Winter Solstice even after Hermes delivered oral and written missives, choosing to drown himself in the work and sneak peeks at his baby girl whenever he could get away with that, with no one wiser.

How could Poseidon keep an eye on Sephie without at least someone knowing, you might ask. The answer is simple. Back during the time of Primordials, Pontus, Primordial of the seas, fell in love with Gaea. The problem, of course, was Gaea's husband, Ouranos, who being the sky itself, would quickly discover any sort of cheating, so Pontus created three green orbs from which he could watch everything in the sea, sky and on the earth and keep his affair with Gaea low-key. Oceanus inherited the orbs when the Titans overthrew Ouranos, and freely gave them to Poseidon when gods defeated the Titans.

"Use them wisely, nephew," Oceanus had said then, and Poseidon could only remember his astonishment at how easily and affectionately the Titan called him 'nephew', so different from Kronos and spit-up word 'son' that sounded more like an insult than family appellation, to be properly impressed with the orbs.

It was only later that he discovered how useful they were. During the centuries, the location in the sky orb remained Olympus and its gossip mill, the sea orb's images varied depending on which location Poseidon was checking in his daily routine, and the earth orb he used to sporadically check on his children. Sephie though, he watched with a particular dedication, which crossed into the maniacal after the Bolt incident. He knew it wasn't healthy, and that he was setting himself up for the inevitable heartbreak when his Princess died, but he always pushed those thoughts away: he had to watch over her.

She was far too beautiful for her own good, just like her sisters and grandmother. His warrior girl was a true child of the sea, her beauty envied by the mortals and desired by the immortals. Poseidon would not let it happen, though: his family was flighty, and Poseidon would never trust them with Sephie's heart.

When she came to the camp, Poseidon thought his heart might stop. Minotaur. Thrice-damned _Minotaur_ chased her to the borders of the Camp Half-Blood as her first true test, and had it not been for the torrential rain he had let out in his anger at his brother, she would've died only meters away from the safety. He cursed his own foolishness for what felt like millionth time, but sent out a prayer of gratitude to Chiron, the satyr and two half-bloods that waited for Sephie to arrive.

Claiming Sephie in the most dramatic fashion he could manage was a perverse pleasure Poseidon wished he could bottle and carry around like a charm as a figurative middle finger to Zeus. By the time he materialized the trident above his warrior girl, she had survived three attempts at her life, made friends in the Camp and showed amazing potential with the sword, and Poseidon couldn't stop grinning, even when his wife assaulted him with her screeching about him being unfaithful _again_.

Seeing her walk out of the camp with the child of Athena and the satyr friend that brought her, Poseidon flashed next to Chiron, successfully startling his half-brother.

"Hello, Chiron," Poseidon smirked, twirling his Trident in his grip.

"L-lord Poseidon!" Chiron stuttered out as he bowed, completely caught off the guard. "I-I-"

"Enough with the Lord, Chiron, you're my brother," Poseidon shook his head, raising Chiron until the centaur looked him in the eye. "Did you give Anaklusmos to Sephie?"

"I did, my – Poseidon," Chiron hastily corrected himself, noticing the warning look Poseidon was giving him. "She's a natural. Only Luke – our current sword master, son of Hermes – had shown that amount of raw potential, and he had at least two years of being on the streets with…" here he threw a cautious glance at the pine tree that used to be their niece, Thalia Grace.

"Good," Poseidon sighed, letting the years of watching the humankind wash over him and appear in his eyes. "She may just survive this intact."

"She will," Chiron assured the Sea King. "She's strong."

"I know."

With those words, Poseidon let himself dissolve into the fine mist rather than to assume his godly form, and returned to Atlantis to fret over Sephie. He could follow her with the orb, but now that Amphitrite and Triton knew of Sephie, the risk of being found out became too high. His family knew of the orbs, and he was not in the mood to listen to Triton bitch about the Heir being ignored in favor of the bastard children.

* * *

While he couldn't watch over her like he did in the months leading up to her quest, Poseidon was still able to hear every pertinent detail of the quest, courtesy of the rumors flying between the Olympians.

The Medusa head package Sephie sent to Olympus honestly made him crack up. Not the most rational of reactions, yes, but he was so worried about her dying by the hand of the monster before they ever met face to face – because there was never any doubt they would meet after this quest – any sign of her being alive and slaying monsters made him smile, and the impertinence of the package pushed him over the line between happiness and hysterics.

Zeus' purple face as he realized he couldn't do anything in retaliation if he wanted his toy back was a nice cherry on the top, too.

Her stunt at the Gateway Arch, on the other hand, made him worry to the point he opened the liquor cabinet in his office to stop himself from imagining every worst-case scenario and fantasizing about sending Zeus to have a nice chat with their Father, in chopped up state of course – all or nothing, as one smart mortal put it. Triton had not been pleased with his behavior, but Poseidon caught a vindictive smile on Amphitrite face when she entered his office and found him rocking in his chair, half-empty bottle of Dionysius' finest in his hand and groaned internally. He wanted his family to like Sephie, but not at the expense of the girl giving him a heart-attack!

Denver incident, in contrast, was a pure joy to watch. Atlantis had a premium reception, courtesy of Hephaestus and his gratefulness for his Uncle allowing his children to help him in the forge. Poseidon argued with Athena all the time and maintained their rivalry on principle, but just like Sephie and Annabeth, when push came to shove, he would save the wisdom goddess and listen to her instructions when it concerned her domain. The unexpected, but very much appreciated side effect of the incident was Triton and Amphitrite being reluctantly impressed by Sephie's powers over the water, and admitting that she just may grow into being the true child of the sea.

He never saw what happened after the questers stopped in Las Vegas, though – Zeus had summoned him to the Olympus and all but locked them in the throne room to wait for Sephie's return. He didn't even allow them to sleep, adamant they were to wait for Sephie to appear on their radar with the Bolt. Thankfully, he had left Alatea with the instructions for the pearls, so he knew Sephie would get out of the Underworld safely.

Naturally, they spent those agonizing five days constantly arguing, with Zeus throwing accusations and insults like candy and Poseidon responding with acerbic sarcasm, only stopping when Hestia grew tired of them and made her hearth erupt.

At the midday of Summer Solstice, Zeus suddenly tensed, his eyes misting over, and Poseidon gripped his trident tighter, recognizing the signs. His brother spotted something in his domain. Not a moment later, Zeus' eyes cleared and the King of Gods growled.

"Your _brat_ is even more impertinent than I thought." Static electricity erupted out of Zeus' fingertips, and Poseidon felt his own powers respond, lighting up the tips of the Trident in stormy green. "She _dared_ to enter _my_ domain, carrying _my_ Bolt!"

" _She_ is trying to return _your_ toy to you _before_ the deadline!" Poseidon shot back. "She wouldn't have done so if the deadline wasn't so close! Besides, do you really want to strike your own Bolt down, because of a bruised ego?"

Zeus looked mutinous. "It still does not give her right to enter!"

Poseidon lost his patience and stood up, the sound of water filling his ears and ground shaking minutely under his feet. "I cannot believe you, Zeus!" His voice echoed through the empty room, amplifying to the point where Zeus had to cover his ears, but Poseidon couldn't care less. How dare his brother treat Sephie's life like that! "She was ripped from her old life, tossed into chaos of our world, accused of thievery and sent on a deadly quest, all in the span of a week! Give Sephie a break, and _stop behaving like everyone's out to get you!_ You're behaving just like our _dear_ Father!"

Zeus flinched at the accusation and opened his mouth to retort, but was silenced by the pointed glares from both Hestia and Poseidon.

"Poseidon is right, Zeus," Hestia murmured, poking the coals in the hearth. "Our little niece is only trying to make the deadline. I'm quite sure she's scared to death that you will blast her out of the sky, despite the circumstances." Here she smiled nostalgically, eyes far away. "Besides, you should at least meet her once in person, before you try to blast her out of existence."

Poseidon blinked at the innocent proposition, before it clicked in his head, and he stared at Hestia with undisguised awe. Why in the world did they allow her to step down, again? His big sister had the best, and most devious ideas, and all packed behind that big doe eyes so no one would suspect her!

Zeus did not arrive at the same conclusion, if his blank expression was any indicative, but Poseidon could read interest in the minute twitches of his body from the millennia the brothers spent fighting and arguing.

"And _why_ , sister, do you think I should meet Persephone Jackson before I blast her?"

"Call it a hunch," Hestia smiled with an air of mystery, creating a small circlet to keep hair away from her face, and leaned to the middle of the hearth to poke at the dying coal. It sputtered before erupting, white hot flames enveloping the coal, tinged with green. "You will understand when you see her."

And he certainly did. As Sephie walked through the grandiose doors of the Throne Room, a backpack that radiated the power of the Sky slung over her shoulder, Poseidon had the utmost pleasure of seeing his brother's face pale and eyes go wild, not believing wat he was seeing. To be fair, Poseidon had not been immune to the image when he first peeked at Sephie life, at her sixth birthday, but still. He was _so_ holding this over Zeus' head!

The exchange went over smoothly from there on, Zeus letting Poseidon do most of the talking, going through the motions, until Sephie mentioned she didn't believe Ares did it alone.

"Then who?" Zeus asked. "Are you blaming -"

"No!" Sephie instantly protested before Zeus could finish the sentence, which made Poseidon suspicious. Why was Sephie defending her uncle so passionately? "He hadn't! It was that thing in the pit!"

Poseidon felt his eyes widen. _Father?_ The following description had only cemented his fear, and he looked at Zeus, opening his mouth to speak.

" _Impossible, Father has always been whispering to the weak-minded,_ " Zeus spoke in Greek before Poseidon could get a word out.

" _What my daughter heard was not just whispers – someone's obeying Father's commands,_ " Poseidon countered. " _Brother -_ "

" _No! I declare the matter closed!_ " Zeus took a deep breath. "I shall go and purify the Bolt. For returning the Bolt, I shall spare your life, Persephone Jackson, but _never_ think about entering my domain – you will not like the results." With those words, Zeus flashed out, leaving Poseidon with Sephie.

The Sea Lord suddenly panicked. What should he say to his baby girl? Should he apologize? Be reserved? Open? Gods, he didn't know what to do!

"Your uncle would've done well as the god of drama," was the most neutral comment he could think of, and was rewarded by a small snort and smile from Sephie. Promising. Morphing into his human form, Poseidon offered his arm to Sephie to lead her out, which she accepted with an air of reluctance that stung the Sea God, but it wasn't like he could expect anything else. "You've done well, Sephie."

"T-thank you… sir," she tacked on the honorific almost as an afterthought, and Poseidon wanted to laugh. His girl was a true Sea Princess – obedience did not come easy to her, and he commented on it. The blush that colored her cheeks and the mumbled confirmation only made him chuckle.

"I must take some credit for it," Poseidon sighed, shaking his head in fondness. "Sea does not like being restrained, nor does it react kindly to being forced into anything."

Sephie twirled a lock of her hair around her finger looking everywhere at her father, and Poseidon felt his heart crack a little bit, so he tried to get her attention with the news of Sally returning. The sparkle in her eyes when she craned her head told him everything he needed to know, and he felt his heart expand and constrict in the same time. Oh, how much he wished he could come to see Sally and Sephie…

 _But maybe, he could._

Poseidon's eyes widened as the thought registered in his head. The repulsive stench of the mortal Sally married was enough to hide child of the Sea – it would hide him too, if he didn't linger. The only thing he needed to do was convince Hera to distract Zeus. Good thing the big baby was distracted as it was – seeing Rhea's face on his niece's body was quite a shock.

"Don't say it, Sephie," Poseidon winked, and watching with pride as Sephie's stormy greens eyes widened in surprise and delight. "Plausible deniability. And, whatever happens, whatever you choose to do in your life, know you're a true child of sea." _I'll always be proud of you, Sephie Jackson_ , he tried to convey to her though his eyes. If the smirk and happy glint her eyes gained were anything to go by, she got it, loud and clear.

* * *

Keeping an eye on Sephie became mission impossible after the Solstice. Atlantis was in a tizzy over the mortal Princess of Seas residing in the surface world, and Poseidon could not do _any_ of his normal duties without being pestered to talk more about Sephie. It got to the point where Poseidon had to stop a normal council session to bluntly ask what connection Sephie's favorite color had with the illegal shark hunting boats in the Indian Ocean. He put his worries over Sephie on the backburner for a solid month and half, trusting his half-brother to keep her out of harm's way.

"What. Did you say." Poseidon asked in a deathly calm tone, and Chiron gulped, his tail swishing from one side to another in anxiety.

"Sephie was poisoned – by the same person that stole the Master Bolt."

" _Who?_ " Poseidon hissed, seas churning as they started to reflect their master's fury. "And _what poison?_ "

"Pit scorpion's," Chiron whispered in shame. "The boy's name is Luke Castellan, son of Hermes."

"Luke Castellan," Poseidon repeated, recalling the blonde boy with the thick, white scar over his eye and a kind smile. "Wasn't he one of Sephie's friends?"

"Yes, my Lord."

Poseidon took a deep breath before letting reins loose, allowing waves and storms to form all over the world, the earthquakes hitting every corner of Gaea. "And the boy escaped to join Father?"

"Sephie is adamant about it," Chiron confirmed, bowing his head. "She wanted to start the search for him the moment she woke up: Annabeth talked her out of it, thank the Fates."

"She's healed now, I take it?" Poseidon took another breath before pacifying the earth, letting the waves and storms dissipate normally to avoid straining Mist too much.

"Yes. Good as new, physically speaking," Chiron clutched his bow, a frown on his face. "Emotionally speaking… well, I'm glad she has next to no control over your domains, my Lord. Luke's betrayal cut her deep – she admired him, and he took care of her. They and Annabeth had makings of a family. Will you speak with her?"

"I will," Poseidon affirmed, "at her birthday. Thank you for telling me, Chiron."

"Of course." With those words, Chiron disconnected the Iris-message, and Poseidon pinched the bridge of his nose. It seemed like his subjects will get their wish of showering Sephie with gifts they thought were appropriate for a Sea Princess.

* * *

Sending Tyson to protect Sephie had been a genius idea – not only it allowed Poseidon to relax a little, it also allowed him to do his work and keep his wife and son calm when the subject of Sephie came up. The only reason why Amphitrite objected to his affairs was because she knew to which lengths Poseidon would go to protect his children instead of paying attention to Atlantis, and Poseidon decided to do his damn best to prove her wrong. Triton's jealousy was thankfully dulled due to the fact Sephie was his half-sister, not half-brother, but it was still present enough to make Poseidon keep an eye on him. He did not need a fight between his warrior girl and Heir.

Even without keeping a physical eye on Sephie, Poseidon knew what was going on in the surface world, so Tyson's and Sephie's prayers for help did not take him by surprise, nor did it make him worry overmuch. The quest was practically tailor-made for Sephie: Sea of Monsters would help her grow in her powers, and it would let Poseidon see and hear every move she made. It was a bit stalkerish by mortal standards, but Poseidon had to stay far away from Sephie for her own good for her entire life – he had to take every chance he could to see how his little girl was.

However, you know what they say about eavesdroppers – they never hear anything good of themselves, or good in general.

"Are you sure?" Poseidon questioned the mako shark he sent to monitor _Princess Andromeda_. "Are you absolutely sure?"

 _Yes, my Lord,_ the shark nodded. _The little Lady, her brother and her friend sounded very sure._

"Thank you," Poseidon sighed, waving his hand over the animal, granting him his blessing and dismissing him. _Oh, Sephie. Thank you for defending me to the traitor, even if you are not sure of me just yet. Loyal to a bitter end, just like me and your brothers._

"Father?" Triton swished into the courtyard where the shark gave his report.

"The news from the surface," Poseidon explained, concentrating on the cruise ship before cursing. "So, that's how you want to play, Uncle?"

"Father, what's wrong?" Triton's fins twitched in impatience and anxiety.

"The Master Bolt thief from last year is in my domain, on a boat protected by your grandfather," Poseidon hissed, Trident materializing in his hand. "The brat nearly caused a World War III, and now he dares to enter my domain under Oceanus' protection!" _Not to mention he put Sephie in incredible danger and poisoned her after pretending to be her friend._

Triton's eyes widened. "You don't think…?"

"I'm afraid so, son," Poseidon growled, the currents speeding around him. "I'm afraid we will have to defend Atlantis."

"Can't you -?"

"Non-interference laws," Poseidon reminded his hot-headed heir. "It would also mean a breach of truce between Oceanus and I, and I have no wish of making Atlantis suffer for any longer than necessary."

Triton nodded, sullen look on his face. "But we will prepare?"

"Of course," Poseidon assured his son. "Can I trust you to train the soldiers for the battle and asses our weaknesses?"

"Naturally, Father," Triton glowed at the thought of Poseidon handing him the responsibility. "I will not fail you."

"I know, son. I know."

* * *

Poseidon was peripherally aware of Sephie entering the Sea of Monsters, one place where his and Oceanus' powers clashed and warred over and he couldn't directly watch over Sephie. Still, the Sea Lord had enough allies there to get at least a broad image of her quest. Sirens in particular were very helpful, telling him about the two girls that sailed past them at speeds that should not be possible without any rowers, engines or wind. They also told him of the foolish daughter of Athena, who wanted to hear their song to realize her faults, and his Sephie, who stuffed her ears with wax and saved her friend from falling victim to Sirens' song.

They weren't very pleased with the fact, but they did say Sephie looked all right, although she did bear the signs of being in a minor skirmish, and that she helmed _Queen Anne's Revenge._ Poseidon cracked up at the name of the ship, remembering Edward Teach and the sword he blessed for the son of Ares before the idiot decided to sail into the Sea of Monsters in search of Circe. A true son of Ares, that one: brash, straightforward and thick as a brick.

In spite of knowing where Sephie was, he was still very glad to feel her presence in more friendly waters near Miami. Sea of Monsters was unpredictable, and you never knew whether it would obey Poseidon or Oceanus – Miami was Poseidon's ground, and Sephie was close to land of gods. It didn't save her from being captured and dragged to _Princess Andromeda_ , though, and Poseidon could only grit his teeth and watch helplessly as the traitor prowled around Sephie, a gleam in the boy's eyes Poseidon did not like _at all._ What did son of Hermes want from Sephie? He should know Sephie gave her loyalty to Olympus and their children in Camp Half-Blood, and it would be a cold day in Tartarus before she betrayed those she felt loyal to.

" _You shouldn't say no so quickly, Sephie,_ " Poseidon heard Luke whisper in Sephie's ear and saw Sephie shiver in revulsion. " _Remember, I know you. You poured your heart out to me at the Camp. You wouldn't want all those secrets to be let out, hm?_ "

" _Blackmail? So you can sink lower?_ " Sephie asked shakily, but Poseidon noticed a discreet motion she made with her wrist, creating a little fountain and a rainbow through which she tossed a drachma. _Oh my clever girl. Well done!_ " _Even lower than betrayal of DIONYSIUS at CAMP HALF-BLOOD?_ "

The following exchange made Poseidon chuckle – Luke was red as a tomato, caught red-handed, Sephie was grinning victoriously, and child of Athena and Tyson looked _very_ impressed. When he saw Chiron enter the scene, Poseidon cut the connection. Sephie would get out of this predicament now. He had nothing to worry about.

However, one question still nagged at him: _What kind of secrets did Sephie confide in Luke, and why would she consider them blackmail?_


	7. The worst fear

***humming* Oh, are we at the Titan's Curse already? Dear Gods! How time passes when you're having fun, and trust me, I've been having a _lot_ of fun with this! So have you, apparently, since your favs, follows, reviews and views just keep multiplying.**

 **This is the first part of the Titan's Curse through Hades' eyes. You will notice I changed things _a lot_ , but I figured since you're not protesting, you want to see something other than repetition of the second biggest tearjerker of a book in PJO series (in my opinion; the number one spot belongs to, of course, TLO). I split the chapter up because otherwise it'll be too long, and it gives you guys one last chance to vote before I close it. Yup, I'm extending the deadline! **

**Also, please, please don't kill me for the ending. Pretty please with Sephie on the top?**

* * *

"I knew it, I knew it!" Sephie all but danced in delight around Hades' office desk, and said god groaned, feeling a mother of all headaches starting to build up in his temples. Fates damn the demigods' ADHD and Sephie's over-the-top reactions!

"Persephone Amphitrite Jackson, settle down this instant!"

Sephie stopped moving around and sat back into her chair, but the smile on her face refused to vanish.

"I knew it!" she repeated it, as if Hades needed her to rub the fact into his face. "Why didn't you tell me earlier, though? I've met them over a year ago."

"Zeus," Hades spat out the name of the King of Gods with an expression that made Sephie frown and shift in her seat, "killed their mother Maria while trying to kill them, to prevent them from fulfilling the Great Prophecy."

Sephie's face shifted into disgust and sympathy, before settling on soft smile of understanding. "It's okay, Uncle. I get it. Don't worry, I'll get my mum to enroll me in the same school, and I'll be sending letters as usual."

"About that…" Hades leaned back into his own chair, biting his lower lip as he inspected the demigoddess in front of him. "Could you send a letter every two weeks? If it's no trouble, of course."

Sephie blinked and tilted her head, then opened her mouth in soundless 'o' as the puzzle pieces clicked in her head. "No prob, Uncle!" she chirped, taking the bronze hairpin out of her hair and twirling in her hands. "Once in two weeks – I guess, with three kids of Big Three in one place, I'll have quite a bit to write about. Monster magnets and all that."

Hades leaned away from his grinning niece and the innocuous hairpin – he had heard from Alecto just what hid in the little hair ornament, and Hades would rather Sephie not impale him with the four-feet-long sword.

"Thank you, Sephie."

"Like I said, no prob," Sephie shrugged, returning the hairclip into her hair and pinning the front locks with it in a way that spoke of long practice. "I have been kicked out of every school I attended in the last seven years, so it's nothing I'm not used to. Mum'll be glad I'm taking initiative, and I'll finally have someone I know from day one."

" _Every_ school, Persephone?" Hades questioned in disbelief. "How did you manage _that_?"

"Field trips," Sephie closed her eyes in a long-suffering expression. "They _always_ manage to mess up my attendance record. Oh, and blowing stuff up when fighting monsters and being a 'disrespectful brat', quote unquote." She air-quoted the title, and Hades found it difficult to reign in a snort.

"You _are_ a disrespectful brat," the god informed Sephie, whose only reaction was to shrug and lean on her elbow, which she placed on the desk.

"Tell me something I don't know. So, letters twice a week, introduce myself to Nico and Bianca as their cousin, keep an eye on them and send them with these," she drew two amulets on silver chain from her pocket, one a silver skull with ruby eyes and the other a round obsidian inlaid in silver circle, "to you the moment monsters try to get to them?"

"Essentially," Hades nodded. "I've never had a lot of children – unlike my brothers, I married for love, not to seal alliances or out of vanity, and my faithfulness is much more difficult to challenge by meaningless flings." Sephie rolled her eyes, smiling lightly, but acknowledged the fact. "I want Bianca and Nico to survive."

"I know, Uncle." Sephie stood up, her _peplos_ swishing around her ankles. "Don't worry about my little cousins – I'll keep an eye on them. Nothing will happen to them if I can help it."

"I trust you, Sephie Jackson," Hades warned his niece. "Do not let me down. And if anyone from the Camp shows up, you know what to do."

"Stop worrying so much," Sephie rolled her eyes. "When have I ever failed to finish the quest I was given?"

"There's always a room for failure," Hades narrowed his eyes at Sephie's confidence. "Do not be cocky, Sephie."

"I know, Uncle, I know. The moment you get cocky, is the moment you die," Sephie paraphrased one of Chiron's many lessons to the veteran campers. "I'll keep Neeks and Bia safe."

"Very well. May Tyche bless you, dearest niece," Hades sighed, not knowing what else to say.

"Yeah, like that's going to happen," Sephie snorted, sauntering out of the room. "Tyche hates me more than she loves me. Bye, Uncle!"

"Sephie?" Hades rose from his seat, but Sephie was already gone, leaving only the barest traces of sea scent in her wake. The Lord of the Dead collapsed in his chair, not caring about the groan of protest the full wood gave at his move.

 _What did she mean by that?_

* * *

 _Hey Uncle!_

 _The first two weeks went by without me noticing. So many things I needed to do didn't leave me a lot of time to casually chat with Bia and Neeks, but I managed to worm myself into Bia's good graces by saving Neeks from falling down the stairs after he was pushed down by one of the upper class-men. Yep, you heard me right. Someone pushed Nico down the flight of stairs, and it was sheer luck I was climbing up, so he fell right into my hands. You should've seen his face when he realized he crashed right into his Cousin Sephie! That amount of red was just hilarious to look at._

 _Bia was furious, though. She wanted to 'have a talk' with said guy (read, crack his skull open in the most painful way possible), but I managed to talk her out of it. The guy may be a bully, but he's still a mortal – I checked, don't worry! – and we can't retaliate in too violent way. Between the two of us, though, I tracked the idiot down to the school pool and 'refreshed' his memories on the school rules about bullying younger students. You get it? Refreshed? ;)_

 _Why haven't you told me you erased their memories from the Lotus Hotel? It made my job of convincing them I'm their cousin infinitely more difficult, since neither of them remember our little run-in. Thank Fates you told me you sent Alecto to pick them up, otherwise I think Bia would've politely shooed me away and kept Nico and herself as far away from me as she could. Thanks for help there, Uncle._

 _I've not seen any satyrs from Camp Half-Blood, but I'm still checking everyone. Speaking of which… I'm_ pretty _sure one of the teachers is a monster, but I can't pin down who just yet. I gave the amulets, so my little cousins will be fine._

 _That's all from me!_

 _Yours,_

 _Sephie Jackson_

 _P.S. It's really creepy to see your eyes do a puppy-eyes look. I'm dead serious – one of the creepiest things I've ever seen. Nico wears it whenever he's around me, if you wonder where have I seen it._

Hades chuckled as he read the second most alarming letter out of the half a dozen Sephie sent so far. At the time of the arrival, Hades had been furious beyond words. How dare a mortal try murdering his own child?! As the time went on, he calmed down, and instead of focusing on Nico's near-brush with Thanatos, he concentrated on the silly anecdotes Sephie described in her letters, of her bonding with Bianca and Nico.

He couldn't quite choose what was funnier: Sephie's descriptions of Nico constantly making a fool out of himself while trying to impress his older cousin, or the obviously annoyed tone Sephie spoke about it.

* * *

 _He fell asleep in my bed. In. My. Bed, Uncle! What in the name of gods made him think it would be a good idea to wait on Bia and my return from the track whilst sitting on my bed?! He's ten, and with the way Bia raised him, he never went to bed after 9 PM, what made him think he could stay up till 11 PM?!_

* * *

 _Uncle, your kid is annoying. He's been following me for three weeks straight, like a leech. Or a stray puppy. Seriously Uncle, how do I convince him to back off? It's not only annoying as Tartarus, I can't do my work, both school and monster-watching one! I don't care if the kid thinks I'm the hottest stuff since Michael Phelps, but if he gets in my way once again, I swear I'll sic Bia on his ass and call this gig off!_

* * *

 _Uncle! How in the name of my father do I look like an angel?!_

Hades snickered as he recalled _that_ particular letter. It had been Halloween, and Bianca, Nico and Sephie agreed to buy each other a costume they thought suited the owner's personality. Sephie got a Black Swan one for Bianca, Bianca gave Nico a bat one, and Nico gave Sephie a costume of an angel. Needless to say, the letter a few days later was more or less a big rant about Sephie not being an angel, because _why would I want to fly anyway, Uncle Z would just strike me out of the sky, and wings are overrated anyway!_ _Fins are much cooler!_

The distraction of the hilarious memories could not erase the content of the latest letter, however.

 _Hullo Uncle,_

 _We have a problem. Or, should I say, we have two problems. One of them is more manageable, but it's still a problem._

 _I know who our monster friend is, and Camp found us._

 _Okay, the Camp thing is a much smaller problem, since I know the satyr who entered the school – he was my protector, in fact. I didn't tell him Bia and Nico were my cousins, but he did seem relieved the kids' scents were overpowered by mine – apparently, I've earned a bit of a rep with the monsters, so they try not to provoke me before they are sure I'm cornered, and since Bia and Nico fall under my protection, that rep extends to them. Less work for me, always a good thing._

 _The monster problem is the one really worrying me. Grover – the satyr friend I mentioned – sensed him too, but he can't tell what it is, which says something considering he traveled with me during the Master Bolt fiasco and was Thalia's protector back in the day. Between her and me, he ran into 80% of the regular monsters dogging demigods' steps, so whatever is keeping an eye on Bia, Nico and I is not your run-of-a-mill monster. I kinda don't want to know what it is, but at the same time I hate the fact I'll be going into this blind, particularly with the winter dance coming up. It'll be a perfect opportunity to separate us from the rest of the students and disappear without a trace._

 _I've been wearing that conch shell charm you sent me every day now, I'm that worried. Be ready for me to send Nico and Bia at any moment._

 _Yours,_

 _Sephie Jackson_

Hades pushed the letter away, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. The winter dance was this evening, according to the calendar hanging on the wall of his office. The calendar was a gift from Sephie after she found out Hades only counted the time by winter/summer exchange and by Solstices.

"My Lord?" Persephone's voice floated in as its owner leaned at the doorpost of Hades' study. "What ails you?"

"Same old, my dear Persephone, same old," Hades sighed, picking up the fountain pen to write down the short message to Sephie. "Your namesake is about to saunter into another foolhardy adventure -"

"And you worry," Persephone finished, smiling softly at her husband's surprise. "Relax, I will do nothing to my lovely namesake. Not only would my uncles, aunts, mother and father slowly kill me, you never looked at her like you loved her. Admired and adored her like a favored child, yes, but not like a love interest."

Hades exhaled in relief, quickly composing a reminder for Sephie to shatter the charm if she found herself in a situation way over her head before turning his focus back to his wife. "Thank you for understanding, my dear."

"I have nothing to fear from Sephie Jackson," Persephone shrugged, draping herself over the back of Hades' chair. "Besides, I doubt Uncle Poseidon would ever let her date immortals."

"Of course he wouldn't," Hades snorted, turning in his seat to leave a peck on Persephone's lips. "I cannot think of any marriage, including ours, that hasn't been plagued by infidelity. Granted, we have had far less than the majority of our relatives, but it's the principle of things."

Persephone nodded, standing up. "Will you be joining me tonight?"

Hades frowned, weighing his options. Sephie had warned him about tonight, but it would be a wise idea to placate Persephone before bringing in Bianca and Nico.

The choice was ultimately taken out of his hands as he heard Sephie's voice in his head, quiet yet determined.

 _Uncle, be ready – the monster made its move!_

"After I check on Sephie," Hades offered to his wife, who nodded with a faint smile.

"Don't make me wait for too long," Persephone whispered with a mischievous glint in her eyes as she sashayed out of the room, making Hades' mouth dry. By the Creator, how could she affect him so much, even after so many millennia they spent married to each other?

 _Uncle!_

Sephie's voice cleared his thoughts, and Hades opened the Iris-message to Sephie, making sure nobody but his niece could spot it, and slapped his hand over his mouth to stop himself from being spotted.

 _Manticore._

The monster sent for his children and niece was a _godsdamn Manticore_.

No wonder neither Sephie nor her satyr friend had not been able to identify the beast! They took a _long_ time to reform, and were generally one of the less known monsters, since they hated putting their hides at risk if they didn't know the demigod's death was only a matter of time. That being said, they often grew overconfident when they _caught_ the demigod they deemed weak enough, giving said demigod time to recover and strike back. Hades could only hope Sephie would figure out that little weakness and exploit it before the three children died.

" _Where are you taking us?_ " Bianca asked, a shrill note of panic entering her voice, and Hades winced. You never show fear to monsters.

" _You will see, brat, now shut up,_ " Manticore growled as it lead the trio to the cliffs.

" _Don't call my sister that!_ " Nico protested, and Manticore whirled on the children, his tail appearing and aiming for Nico.

" _I can call your bint of a sister whatever I want, runt,_ " it hissed, the poisonous stinger on the end swinging back and forth. " _But if you want to live, I suggest you shut up now. The General will not tolerate insolence._ "

" _Well, insolence kind of comes with the package,_ " Sephie stepped between the monster and Nico. " _Or have you been living under the rock for the last two years?_ "

" _I wasn't talking to you, Daughter of Poseidon,_ " Manticore now looked interested. " _Awfully concerned for those runts, for a famed heroine._ "

" _I don't leave family behind,_ " Sephie hissed, pushing Bianca behind herself as well. " _And Di Angelos are my family, my cousins._ "

" _Gods don't have DNA, there's no -_ "

" _No real blood relationship, yeah I've heard that spiel before,_ " Sephie crouched slightly, turning her face so the monster wouldn't see her mouth out of the corner of her eyes, _crush your necklaces on my signal._ " _It's pure bullshit, if you ask me. Every demigod is my extended family, and family takes care of each other._ "

Manticore cackled wheezily. " _You sound a lot like that Luke boy._ " Sephie stiffened minutely at the comparison, and Hades leaned forward, pleading for the children to crush their necklaces. " _He spoke of the family as well, when he talked to the demigods on our side._ "

" _He's a hypocrite, liar, and a betrayer,_ " Sephie declared, her arm shooting to the bronze hairpin in her hair. " _Bia, Nico, now!_ "

The siblings had a mutinous look and their faces, but when Manticore hissed and threw itself at Sephie, they tore the necklaces from their necks and crushed them under their feet, activating the spell that landed them in Hades' office.

After briefly checking they were not injured by the slight fall, Hades turned to the Iris message, only to spot a satyr and two girls, the first a child of Athena and other the punk girl with electric eyes – Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus – trying to help Sephie beat Manticore, but without any success.

Suddenly, Sephie vaulted up and landed on Manticore's neck, trying to keep herself on and strike the mortal injury to the monster. Hades cursed in Ancient Greek.

 _What are you_ _ **doing**_ _, Sephie Jackson?!_

A hunting horn echoed through the woods, and Hades barely felt his children peek from behind him as he registered with no small amount of relief the appearance Zoe Nightshade, lieutenant of Artemis and leader of the Hunters.

That relief soon turned into horror when he realized Sephie had not let go of Manticore's neck.

" _Permission, milady?_ " Zoe asked of Artemis, and Hades wanted to scream at both of his nieces.

 _No!_

" _Permission granted, Zoe._ "

 _No!_

" _Fire!_ " Zoe ordered, and good two dozen arrows embedded themselves into Manticore's belly.

"NO!" Hades shouted, and Artemis turned in surprise, but it was too late: the Manticore, already dangerously close to the cliff's edge, tumbled over the edge, taking Sephie with him.

"SEPHIE!" Bianca and Nico shouted as well and launched themselves forward, but the Iris-message disconnected, its duration over.


	8. What happened to her?

_**Whoo! I'm here! The voting time's over - as you should know -and I'll reveal the pairing in the next chapter!**_

 _ **One notice - all of the Italian in this is lifted from Google Translate. I'm reasonably sure it's okay, but correct me if I'm wrong since I'm no Italian, and I've never learned it! (Latin doesn't count, unfortunately.)**_

 _ **Enjoy the 4k of the Titan's Curse, part 2!**_

* * *

"SEPHIE!"

Nico and Bianca were standing in front of Hades, staring blankly at the spot where Iris-message with Sephie was only moments ago.

"Sephie?" Bianca asked shakily, her fists clenched, and she whirled around to face father she didn't remember, onyx eyes blazing. "What happened to Sephie?!"

"She isn't… you know…" Nico said, clutching Bianca's sleeve, eyes wide.

"No, she's not," Hades confirmed after closing his eyes and checking on his realm, failing to sense Sephie's soul. "She's alive."

"How can you be so sure?" Bianca demanded. "You just closed your eyes, and suddenly knew she's alive? Do you have some sort of, I don't know, telepathic connection or -"

"No, but my dear niece has visited me so many times I would know her soul signature anywhere," Hades sighed, carding his fingers through his hair. "Wherever she is, she's definitely not in my domain."

"My domain?" Nico piped up, eyes filled with a mixture of wariness and curiosity. "What do you mean by that, sir?"

"And who are you?" Bianca placed her hands on her hips, unknowingly imitating her mother's favorite pose when she was in an argumentative mood, and Hades' breath hitched.

"What had Sephie told you about the necklaces?" the god asked instead of answering his children's questions.

Nico and Bianca exchanged a quick look, communicating in silence, before Bianca turned to her father.

"She only said her uncle, our father made them for us and gave it to her for emergency situations, and to always keep them on ourselves, no matter what."

Hades smiled despite the tense mood in the room. Sephie had done her work perfectly, telling her cousins just enough to count as truth and never outright lying. It seemed Sally Jackson had influenced her daughter in more than one way. "I certainly did. I hope you liked them."

Nico blinked and Bianca tilted her head, before the implications of the phrasing registered with the siblings.

" _Papa_?" Nico was the first one to shake himself out of shock-induced stupor and ask the question hanging between the trio.

Hades only smiled and opened his arms. " _Si, Niccolo._ " Not a moment later he grunted under the combined weight of his children as they ran into his arms, sobbing and babbling in Italian.

" _Dov'eri, papa?_ " Bianca hiccupped, clutching her father's sleeve. " _Perché non sei tornato quando è morta la mamma?_ " ( _Where were you, dad? Why didn't you return when Mum died?_ )

" _Mi è stato proibito, cara ragazza,_ " Hades whispered, threading through Bianca's silky black locks, a trait that connected all Greek children of Big Three. " _Tuo zio ti avrebbe ucciso_." ( _I was forbidden, darling girl. Your uncle would've killed you._ )

" _Nostro zio? Il padre di Sephie?_ " Nico asked, his voice muffled by the clothes he stuck his face in around Hades' middle. ( _Our uncle? Sephie's dad?_ )

" _No,_ " Hades shook his head, " _il mio altro fratellino_." ( _No, my other little brother._ )

" _Perché?_ " Bianca sniffed. " _Perché nostro zio vuole ucciderci?_ " ( _Why? Why would our uncle want to kill us?_ )

"Because he is a paranoid brat who doesn't trust his own family," Hades growled, gently separating Nico from himself and gathering Bianca and Nico in a gentle hug. "And I am so, so sorry I dragged you into this, little ones. I shouldn't have let you out of the Lotus Hotel, but with Thalia's revival and Sephie's emergence, I couldn't in good conscience leave you there."

"Why would you apologize, _papa_?" Nico asked in confusion. "We missed you!"

"Because I was selfish," Hades sighed, staring into twin pairs onyx eyes, so similar to his own, "and I wanted you two to share the glory of your older cousins without thinking it through. I never thought Sephie would place herself in harm's way to protect you, or that she would fail to contact me afterwards." And it was the most worrying part. She was not dead, but she was not using her charm to contact either her father or Hades.

 _What happened to you, my dear niece? Sea was underneath you – why didn't you use it?_

"Wait a minute, you know why Sephie attacked Mr. Thorn, and why was he so… freaky?" Bianca narrowed her eyes, and Hades sighed in frustration. His little Shadow Princess was far too observant.

"Yes," Hades admitted. "She had instructions from me to protect you from monsters and send you here the moment they closed in on you. I had no idea it would be a _Manticore,_ of all things. _Empousai,_ maybe, they blend in with teenagers with far more ease, but -"

Nico interrupted, eyes shining. "Manticore? Like Mythomagic? Does he have -"

"Nico!" Bianca scolded. "This is not a game!"

"Your _sorellona_ is partly right, Niccolo," Hades walked to his chair and sat, materializing two chairs with a flick of his wrist. "But so are you. Mythomagic, while only a silly game to the mortals, offers quite accurate descriptions of the beings in Greek mythology and their powers, which you will need to survive. Sit."

Nico and Bianca gaped at the chairs appearing out of thin air. Bianca carefully tested it by placing her hand on the seat, and when it didn't sink through like she expected, she sat down, Nico following her suit.

"We will need Mythomagic to survive?" Bianca asked, ever the sceptic. "It's just a game."

"A game based on reality only a select few can see and understand, Bianca," Hades countered. "How do you think you got from Maine to Los Angeles in a span of a second?"

"We're in Los Angeles?" Nico's jaw dropped and he craned his neck, searching for the windows to check his father's claims.

"Yes, or should I say, we're _underneath_ Los Angeles," Hades smiled at his son's enthusiasm and energy. "I don't go to the surface world much – too much work to do here."

"And what is _here_?" Bianca finally asked the question Hades was waiting for.

"Underworld," Hades simply said leaning back into his chair. "The realm of the dead, which I govern."

Nico's eyes widened, and Bianca's face lost a little of the color. "We-we're in the _Realm of Dead?_ " Bianca all but shrieked. " _Are we dead?_ "

"No, not at all, _mio tesoro_ ," Hades chuckled, shaking his head. "You're just as alive as I am. Living can come here, but they rarely do, due to the fear of death."

"B-but the Underworld is just a myth, right?" Nico's lower lip trembled. "Greek version of Heaven and Hell?"

"Oh if it were a myth," Hades was now properly amused, "I would be counted as a myth as well. Do I look like a make-believe to you?"

Bianca and Nico shook their heads, still looking rather poleaxed, so Hades decided to help them a little. "Let me show you my realm before you go to bed, if you still don't believe me. My name is Hades, if you forgot who the Lord of the Dead is from Mythomagic," Hades winked at Nico and stood up, gliding over to the doors and stopping there. "Well? Are you coming?"

Bianca and Nico scarpered out of their seats, sticking close to their father as he led them through the maze of the corridors lit by green torches, courtesy of Hecate. In the end, the trio found themselves on the balcony overlooking Asphodel and Elysium, with Fields of Punishment and entrance to Tartarus only a speck in the distance.

"Whoa," Nico breathed out, and Bianca leaned as far as she safely could over the railing, watching things with an amazed look on her face.

"Welcome to the Underworld," Hades smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

 _Why haven't you called me, Sephie?_

* * *

"Dear Fates, brother, have you heard of the concept of giving someone a call before barging into their home?" Hades groaned, seated in his throne, as Poseidon stormed through the door.

"Where is she?" Poseidon demanded, and Hades could hear Styx and Lethe gurgle, reflecting the Sea God's fury. "Where is Sephie?!"

"Not in my domain," Hades defended himself, rising from his throne. "Isn't she in yours? Sea was right under the cliffs!"

"She called for the sea to help her," Poseidon scowled, gripping his trident which was flickering like Christmas tree lights, "but she never touched it after she fell."

A horrible feeling unfurled in Hades' gut, his heart heavy with fear.

"And if she's not dead – and don't tell me I don't know my souls, Poseidon, Sephie's signature is unique! – then…" The two gods exchanged wide-eyed looks as the same thought entered their heads.

"Iris messages don't connect to her, and none of the amulets I gave her work," Poseidon whispered in horror. "You think…?"

Hades nodded, feeling his hands clench on the reflex. "There are only two places in North America where our powers don't work as they should. Alaska – but that place is completely beyond us, so the Iris message cannot even be sent there, never mind connect – and-"

"And Mount Tamalpais," Poseidon finished with a half-mad look in his eyes, but Hades was far too gone to care about the damage they would cause. "The place where Atlas holds the sky. Mount Othrys."

" _Father,_ " the two brothers hissed in unison, and the ground above them rumbled with the combined might of the Earthshaker and Lord of the Underworld.

" _Papa_?" A meek voice came from the farthest and the darkest corner of the room, from which Bianca and Nico emerged, shadows clinging to them like lovers before finally dissipating, their job done.

"Bianca, Niccolo," Hades breathed out, claming down at the sight of his children looking more than little scared of their father's and uncle's outburst. "I'm sorry. We," he gestured to himself and his little brother, "just realized what happened to Sephie."

"Is she okay?" Nico asked instantly, separating himself from Bianca and rushing over to his father's throne, followed by Bianca at much more steady pace. "Do you know where she is? Can we go after her?"

"Absolutely not!" Hades snapped a but harsher than he meant to, so he repeated his words more calmly. "Absolutely not, Niccolo. That place is vile, filled with enemies of Olympus – not even your cousin would go there, and she already has two immensely difficult quests on her tally sheet."

"Brother?" Poseidon asked, head tilted to the side in an unknowing imitation of Sephie. "Who are they?"

"Maria's children," was Hades' flat-toned answer, and Poseidon made a noise of sympathy. "Niccolo, Bianca, this is Poseidon, my younger brother and Sephie's father."

"So, you're not the uncle who wants to kill us," Nico felt the need to state, and Hades did not bother suppressing his groan. He could understand Sephie's rants now perfectly!

Poseidon only chuckled at the question, shaking his head. "No, nephew, I do not. Your father and I have never had any terrible spats or anything similar. Besides, I'm not in habit of killing my brothers' children. You'll be always welcome to sail at the seas."

"Thank you, sir," Bianca dipped her head in an almost regal bow, and Poseidon waved it off.

"We're family, niece, and I don't stand on formality. Too restricting."

"And Fates forbid Lord of the Seas feels restricted," Hades shot a volley, but it lacked true heat of an insult.

"Fates forbid," Poseidon smirked knowingly. "We wouldn't want another Troy, would we?"

Hades shuddered at the reminder of that war. It had been the first war of such magnitude he had to sit through, and he could never forget the screams of both soldiers and civilians as they were forced through the veil separating the living from the dead and landing on Charon's shores.

"Don't even think about it," Hades threated, motioning Nico and Bianca to come closer. "World War II was one headache I did _not_ need, in any way, shape, or form."

"No need to go ballistic on me, Hades," Poseidon raised his hands in surrender. "I understand you perfectly. Governing two-thirds of Gaea is not all fun and games. I came to tell you something -"

"Something other than demanding Sephie's location from me?" Hades raised his eyebrow.

"The quest has been issued to Hunters and campers, for Artemis," Poseidon informed his older brother.

"Artemis? What happened?"

"She went missing," a soft rumbling note entered Poseidon's voice, and Hades bit his lip. Oh, their niece will _definitely_ be hearing from Poseidon after the questers find her. "She was hunting something elusive, and last I heard about her from Blackjack – Sephie's pegasus – is that her lieutenant saw her being captured, and Thalia saw her holding up the sky."

A rather foul Greek curse escaped Hades' mouth, which made Bianca blush and cover giggling Nico's ears. "Tamalpais."

"Yes," Poseidon sighed, "and with her absent from the Winter Solstice meeting…"

"We'll lose another year of war preparations," Hades groaned, massaging his temples. By the Creator, he wanted to strangle Ananke and her triplets! Why did they have to pile all of the bad things on them right now? He wanted to spend at least some time with his children! "If we don't reach an accord now, we might as well hand the keys to Olympus, Atlantis and Underworld back to the Titans without fighting at all!"

"I know," Poseidon gripped his Trident tightly. "Oceanus has been incommunicado for the past six months, and _Princess Andromeda_ bears sigils of Oceanus, Tethys and Aigaios. It's only a matter of time when Atlantis will fall under the siege."

Hades nodded. "And the truce between you and Oceanus?"

"The letter of it still upholds, but in the spirit it has been broken for over a year," Poseidon shook his head. "Frankly, I'm itching for an excuse to attack, because once they start the siege, I'll be at disadvantage. I'll be defending Atlantis and trying to maintain control of the seas, while they are just attacking. I love how the Father wants to turn the tables on us."

"Reverse of the first Titanomachy," Hades agreed with a sneer on his face. "Too bad he chose a wrong demigoddess to abduct, don't you think?"

That half-mad glint entered Poseidon's eyes again, and Hades felt Nico and Bianca flinch at his sides. "You have _no_ idea, brother." The Sea Lord twirled his Trident idly. "The quest lacks one member at the present, and at least two more will die. ' _One shall be lost in the land without rain'_ and ' _One shall perish by their parent's hand._ '"

Hades turned to Bianca and Nico, who were grinning like all of their Christmases came together early. "You might as well say it: I owe Sephie."

"We all owe her," Poseidon corrected his older brother. "We owe her more than we would ever be able to repay her, even if our Drama Queen of a brother doesn't agree."

"Pride has always been Zeus' biggest flaw," Hades agreed. "Very well. I will send out Nico and Bianca. Where is the quest now?"

"Washington D.C., Air and Space Museum." Poseidon to leave. "By your leave, Brother?"

"Of course," Hades rolled his eyes – they'd dispensed with the formalities two millennia ago, but Poseidon just liked being a contrary brat sometime. "And next time, call before you try knocking down my door!"

"As you wish, my Lord!" Poseidon threw over his shoulder, crushing a pearl similar to the one he sent to Sephie year and a half ago, and disappearing.

"So… that's Uncle Poseidon?" Nico asked, ever the brash and innocent one.

"Yes," Hades confirmed, seating himself back into his throne. "It seems your wish of finding Sephie will be coming true."

"Yes!" Nico pumped his fist, and Bianca showed her support by not reprimanding her brother.

" _However_ ," Hades fixed his gaze on both of his children. "The moment something goes wrong, or your lives are in danger, I want you two here. _No exceptions._ "

"Yes, Father!" Di Angelos chorused and rushed off to prepare for their first quest.

Hades looked upwards and prayed to the Fates.

 _Please, let me keep them. Please do not cut my children's strings. I've lost so much – please, don't make me mourn another child!_

* * *

It was a most nerve-wrecking experience of Hades' existence: he had had children go on quests, but they've been almost exclusively trained by the Camp, and the powers they inherited from him negligible. Bianca and Nico were the first ones he taught personally, with a little help from Persephone (and that was probably the biggest surprise of the century – Hades had another thing to thank Sephie for: his wife's tolerance for her step-children), so he had faith in them.

Bianca returned about a day after the siblings set out, shaking from the electric shock she sustained in her fight against Talos, but mercifully alive. After ribbing her for not paying attentiom for five minutes straight and giving her some nectar to recover, he asked her about Nico.

"He went on," Bianca shrugged. "I'm not needed anymore. To be honest Father, I should've died."

" _One shall be lost in the land with no rain,_ " Hades quoted the line Poseidon told him. "Well, you _are_ lost to them. Not dead, but certainly beyond demigods' reach – apart from your brother, of course."

Bianca nodded, although she didn't look too sure. "Father, I've seen Fates before we entered Hephaestus' junkyard. They looked a bit… unsettled. Like something happened that shouldn't have."

Hades felt as if Cocytus' waters ran through his veins. Fates unsettled?

"Did they speak to you, or look at you in any way, _tesora_?" Hades asked, dreading the worst.

Bianca shook her head. "They were looking westward, and occasionally glancing at Nico and Zoe, but they didn't pull out their shears or anything. They were simply unsettled."

Hades shook his head. "This is not good, Bianca. At midnight, the Winter Solstice meeting will begin, and if Artemis is not here…"

"I know," Bianca sighed, unwinding her black hair from the braid. "Is Persephone free? I want to talk with her – girl things."

Hades felt his cheeks redden, and he quickly dismissed his daughter before she could spot it – unsuccessfully, if a small smirk at the corners of her mouth as she walked out of the throne room were any indication. However, Hades could not concentrate on his child for too long. The war, his Father's emergence, Sephie's fate hanging in the air – it hurt his head just thinking about it, and he faced the cruel reality. None of the gods – barring maybe Athena and Poseidon, more his brother than his niece – were ready for a full-scale war between Mount Othrys and Mount Olympus, and no one beside the six elder Olympians had battled the Titans.

In other words, Father preyed on the Olympus' complacency, and succeeded in creating an army half-bloods would struggle to defeat, whilst Zeus refused to even acknowledge the fact he was awake enough to give orders.

"Uh, Uncle H?" Hermes flew into the throne room, looking ready to bolt the moment Hades made a move. "The Solstice is starting."

Hades nodded curtly, and Hermes ran out, leaving the eldest son of Kronos to collect his wits, his Helm of Darkness and step down from the throne.

"Alecto, please inform Persephone and Bianca I am at the meeting," he told his Fury, who nodded and flew off. "Here we go again," Hades sighed, and stepped into the same corner Bianca and Nico used for their shadow traveling, picturing the Throne Room on Olympus as his destination.

* * *

Artemis entered the Solstice meeting nearly an hour late – atypical for her, but Hades was willing to cut her some slack, considering she had been trapped under the weight of the sky for three days. Apollo had been the first one to react, jumping out of his throne and rushing over to his sister, palms glowing.

"Arty!" Apollo's usual nickname for annoying his sister fell flat as Apollo hugged Artemis, moving his hands down her sides while not actually touching her. "Are you okay?"

Artemis extricated herself from her brother's hug, but she didn't insult him or try to shoot him.

"I'm good, relatively speaking," Artemis exhaled. "My lieutenant gave her life to help me defeat her father and push him back under the sky."

Everyone's eyes widened and turned to Hades, who closed his eyes and felt Zoe Nightshade's soul in the sky.

"You've given her more fitting reward than even Isles of Bless," Hades smiled at his niece. "She's happy, Artemis."

Artemis exhaled and all but collapsed into her throne, closing her eyes and letting the silver light of her aura envelop her and replenish her energy.

"And the heroes?" Zeus asked before Poseidon could. "What of the heroes?"

"They are coming on the pegasi Persephone Jackson summoned for them," Artemis smiled grimly. "They will be here shortly."

And just like Artemis had said, the clatter of the hooves was heard from the outside the throne room, and the doors opened shortly after, admitting Nico, Sephie, Thalia and Annabeth Chase in. None of the them looked too bad on the first glance, but the second glance had Poseidon shooting out of his throne and Hades having to hold him back. Sephie and Nico had twin white streaks in their hair, and Sephie looked half delirious, swaying on her feet and being propped up by both of her cousins.

"Hey Sephie, are you sure you don't want to lay down and rest?" Annabeth's question echoed through the silence that fell on the room like a boulder.

"I'm okay Annabeth," Sephie summoned a fragile smile for her friend and cousins. "Better get this over with as soon as possible."

"Not even a little nectar?" Annabeth needled.

"No can do Annie," Thalia murmured. "She've already had a bit more than she should have. One more drop and she'll start burning up."

"Thalia's right," Nico agreed with the daughter of Zeus. "Her body-soul connection needs to heal naturally with no supernatural intervention."

Hades looked for the connection and sucked in a startled gasp, cursing his Father mentally to Tartarus and back. _What had they done to her?!_

"We should not tarry," Artemis agreed. "The heroes deserve to rest after everything they've been through on this quest."

"Sephie?" Poseidon asked softly. "Do you want to sit by my throne?"

Sephie exchanged uneasy looks with her cousins, before looking at her father.

"Can Thalia stay with me?" she asked, her voice breaking, and Poseidon quickly nodded in assent. Nico and Thalia helped Sephie up to Poseidon's throne, where she plopped down and leaned against it, Thalia placing her arm around Sephie's shoulders. Nico returned to Annabeth, and Zeus called for the Solstice meeting to start.

Poseidon whisked his daughter away the moment Zeus allowed the gods to disperse, but demigods, Artemis and Hades were a bit more persistent and followed the Sea God to his temple. Sephie was laying in Poseidon's bed, Apollo sitting next to her with a frown on his face and Poseidon hovering at the door.

"Hey Uncle H, can you come over and tell me what do you see?" Apollo asked, completely immersed in his 'healer' aspect.

"What do you mean, Apollo?" Hades asked, bypassing his brother to sit on Sephie's other side.

"I'm trying to figure out why is she so unstable - no matter that I do, she starts shaking after a short while, and I can't find any physical injuries."

Hades groaned and buried his face in his palms. "Poseidon, swear on the river Styx you will not allow your emotions to influence your realm when I tell what's wrong with your daughter."

Even with his back turned, Hades could feel his brother's gaze boring holes into him. "I swear on the river Styx." Thunder sealed the oath, and Hades exhaled.

"The connection between her body and soul has been… mutilated, for the lack of better word. Whatever was done to her on Mount Othrys, it was done purposefully to weaken her in body and make her more pliable in her mind and soul."

The ground beneath rumbled, but Hades felt no sudden influx of souls in his realm, so Poseidon was keeping his word.

"So, it's the connection…" Apollo hummed. "No wonder I couldn't sense anything. I can see soul injuries to an extent, but not the connections."

"Can she be cured?" Thalia, the new lieutenant of Artemis fretted.

"Yes, but it won't be easy," Hades sighed. "She should remain in the Camp, close to Apollo Cabin and Nico. You cannot force it, and some of the side-effects will not be pretty to witness."

"What could cause it?" Artemis asked, not bothering to disguise her fury and disgust. "I've heard of soul injuries, and body injuries. To injure a connection between them…"

"I honestly don't know," Hades admitted. "I will probably have to consult the older death gods," _and the Egyptian ones_ , he added mentally. They had far more experience with the mind and soul damage. "Right now, we can only keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't repress this incident in her mind. If she does… the connection could snap."

 _And Sephie will die._

The words hung unspoken in the air.

"Luke knows what happened," Annabeth suddenly said. "Remember how guilty he looked when she collapsed after he let go of her to fight Thalia?"

Poseidon, Hades, Artemis and Apollo exchanged looks. If the traitor had not been on the top of their _to hunt_ lists before, he certainly was now.

 _He will confess what had he done to their precious Sephie. After that… eternal damnation will be too kind of a punishment._


	9. Omake: Luke - What have I done?

_**Aaaand omake time! This one I was planning from the ending of the SoM and Poseidon's little insight. Some of the things Luke had mentioned then will be cleared up, and it will lay down the foundation for the chosen pairing.**_

 _ **Ah, the pairing. I was fighting with myself, really. I loved some of your ideas, and I had ideas of my own I wanted to play with, but in the end... the majority wins this one.**_

 _ **Hermes/Sephie it is!**_

 _ **However... things won't be easy. Gods forbid I actually allow Sephie her 'happily ever after' before putting her to as much trouble as I can, so you WILL be seeing hints of some pairings you suggested... *wink, wink*  
**_

 _ **A disclaimer for this chapter: it was told nearly entirely in the form of flashbacks!**_

* * *

Luke groaned as he picked himself from the rock he fell on when Thalia pushed him off the edge of Mount Othrys, his head spinning slightly from the power of the impact. Achilles' Curse may have kept him alive and his skin invulnerable, but it couldn't stop the blunt force from spreading over his body. The biggest cincher in his situation was that he could've landed with far less impact if he let go of Backbiter and the necklace with two charms on it.

But he didn't. Backbiter was needed to re-forge Kronos' scythe, and the necklace… well, he couldn't let go of it. He had broken enough promises; this one he was determined to keep.

Even if the said promise was made to the girl he now had to call his enemy.

 _It was the eve before the Fourth of July, and Luke was in the arena, hacking at the dummies, trying not to think of the order Lord Kronos had given him: make Persephone Jackson join them, or kill her in the most painful and slow way he can think of. The order didn't sit well with him, but he was reasonably sure he could sway her. He didn't miss the appreciative one-overs she sent his way when she thought he wasn't watching her, or Silena smirking and looking pointedly between the two of them. He didn't know if it was a simple hero-worship or an infatuation, but then again he couldn't really decide what he felt for the Sea Princess._

 _He was grateful she stopped the war where she and Annabeth could be hurt in, but on the other hand, she thwarted his Lord's plans, which put the Titan King in a terrible mood, and Luke was the one who had to suffer through them._

 _"_ _Hey, Luke!" Speak of the devil: Sephie hopped down the steps leading into the arena, reaching for the hairpin and transforming it into her sword Riptide with a flick of her wrist. "Want to spar with me?"_

 _"_ _I don't know," Luke drawled, pretending to weight his options. To be honest, Sephie would be a challenge, unlike the dummies, and he needed something to take his mind off the steadily darkening thoughts. "I guess you'll do."_

 _"_ _You guess?" Sephie crossed her arms in front of her, Riptide held loosely in her hand. "I'm honored."_

 _"_ _You should," Luke teased her, twirling the Celestial Bronze sword Kronos instructed to fuse later on with tempered steel. "Most of the campers don't rate above the dummies."_

 _"_ _Your fault for being so good," Sephie fired back, mimicking Luke's movement with her own sword, and settled into the defensive stance, which surprised Luke a little. Sephie was one of those whose adage in fighting was 'the best defense is a good offense'._

 _"_ _Playing it safe?" he raised his eyebrow, raising the sword' grip over his head in preparation for a swing. "Not like you, Princess."_

 _"_ _Will you stop calling me that?!" Sephie growled, but to her credit she didn't move out of her stance, not allowing Luke to goad her into attacking him first._

 _"_ _Never, Princess." With those words, Luke fell on her, his sword cleaving down at her head. She was ready for it, however: she placed her sword between them, letting the blow slide off her blade and twirled in place, disengaging their swords and swinging hers at his neck._

 _Eyes wide, Luke bent over backwards, barely blocking Sephie's riposte and, taking the sword in both hands, pulled out the disarming movement, sending Riptide flying. Sephie just grinned and rolled away, tugging at the necklace Luke had not seen before._

 _"_ _What the Hades!" Luke yelped, suddenly finding three metallic tips resting against his jugular. "You didn't tell me you brought in new toys, Sephie!"_

 _"_ _Surprise factor," Sephie was grinning like a loon, holding the trident with the same confidence she exhibited when she wielded her sword. "A little gift from Dad."_

 _Luke was speechless. For all his teasing about Sephie being Sea Princess, she had never looked like a sea deity like now, and Luke was drawn to her. The promise of power, elegance and youth she let out in waves was simply irresistible, and Luke gulped, averting his eyes to stop himself from doing something stupid. Then he noticed a small scar peeking from underneath camp T-shirt's collar._

 _"_ _Sephie, I thought you said Ares didn't get you," son of Hermes pointed at the scar._

 _"_ _Huh?" Sephie looked down at her collar, and her eyes darkened, face smoothing out to the blankness. "Oh, that one. Don't worry, it's years old. Nothing to talk about."_

 _Luke called bullshit. The scar was old, true, but it bore too much resemblance to the scars Thalia had shown him._

 ** _"_** ** _My mother was a compulsive drunk, and resented me and my existence. Do I need to spell out the rest?"_**

 _Thalia's words echoed ominously in his head._

 _"_ _It's not nothing," Luke hissed. "You never told me someone in your family was a drunk!"_

 _"_ _Leave it, Luke," Sephie's eyes, while the completely wrong color, reminded him of Thalia when he asked about the scars: wild eyes of the cornered animal. "It's none of your business!"_

 _"_ _You're one of my colleagues, a cabin counselor," Luke argued, sheathing his sword and raising his hands in surrender. "And you're not the first, nor the last, demigod with shitty mortal parent!"_

 _"_ _It wasn't my mum!" Sephie growled, pressing the trident against Luke's neck. "She is the best, kindest human in existence!"_

 _"_ _Then your stepfather?" Luke took a wild guess, taking a step back. "You should talk about it, Sephie."_

 _"_ _No," Sephie removed the trident and returned it to the necklace charm. "He's dead, and I won't waste my breath on that thing that barely qualifies as human."_

 _"_ _It will help you," Luke cajoled, feeling Kronos approve from the back of his mind._ Learn your enemy's weaknesses. _But it wasn't the main reason why he wanted Sephie to open up to him – not that he could admit it. "I swear I'll never tell anyone."_

 _Sephie sighed, plopping down on the box that previously housed the dummies had been practicing on. "It's not about that. I don't want pity."_

 _"_ _And you won't get it from me," Luke promised her. "Thalia would find a way to come back and shock me if I did." He waited for a moment before he sat down next to the daughter of Poseidon. "Now, talk."_

 _Sephie took a deep breath before she started talking._

 _"_ _My mum married Gabe when I was six. I hadn't understood why – she obviously didn't love him like she loved my dad – and he only wanted a free live-in maid and cook. I was a baggage he didn't anticipate, and at first he ignored me. When I grew up a bit – I was around eight – he started… touching me." She paused there for a second before plowing on._

 _"_ _Nothing too uncomfortable, but I begged mum to send me to private schools who had the boarding option. Mum wasn't very happy with that, our finances were already tight with Gabe's constant gambling, but I told her if I stayed with him for too long, I'd either be forced to kill him or run away. And the worst thing, I would have killed him. I would never hurt mum by simply running away._

 _After that… he wouldn't touch me, but he placed me on cooking duty and threw beer bottles whenever he thought I took too much time to deliver his meal." She removed collar a bit, revealing a thin, but nastily long scar over her heart, right on the collarbone. "This one was my first – and only – time I messed up the meal. I never told my mum, and managed to patch it up with first aid kit."_

 _Luke could not find words that were not curses in either English or Greek for several long moments. "Sephie… this is worse than anything I've heard so far, and that includes my mother, who was legitimately insane."_

 _Sephie tilted her head, and Luke cursed himself for revealing this. He had never said this to anyone apart from Thalia and Annabeth._

 _"_ _You mean, full out insane, or…?"_

 _"_ _Full out," Luke confessed grimly, "and I have my father to blame for that."_

 _Sephie's eyes widened and she sat up straighter. "What?"_

 _"_ _She was clear-sighted," Luke murmured, "and my father told her something about my future. She went completely mad after that – sometimes she was almost normal, and sometimes…" he shuddered, and Sephie made a noise of understanding._

 _"_ _I get it. You know, I hated my dad back then, for leaving my mum and me to deal with Gabe, even though my mum told me he was lost at the sea."_

 _"_ _And now?" Luke asked breathlessly. He tried not to get his hopes up too high – children of Poseidon had a particularly troublesome fatal flaw of personal loyalty, according to Lord Kronos._

 _"_ _I don't know," Sephie sighed. "I don't hate him, that's for sure."_

 _Luke bit his lip. She didn't declare her allegiance to Olympus outright, but neither had she denounced them. He still had some chance, if he went about it carefully…_

It didn't work out, and Sephie became his first and only failure in recruitment. Luke glanced at the necklace before one of the _empousai_ landed next to him.

"Do you need any help, Luke?" the monster girl asked with a charming smile.

"No, Tammy," Luke waved her away. "I'll be up in no time. Any news on Chris and the Romans?"

"He was taken in by the Camp, according to the spy," Tammy wrinkled her nose at the mention of the home of the demigods. "And Romans are still debating about the threat our Lord poses to them."

"Still?" Luke asked with a small smirk. "By the Fates, they're worse than the Olympians! At least they don't debate incessantly when they have the proof of the war on the horizon!"

Tammy giggled before puckering her lips. "Are you sure you don't need any help, Luke?"

"Yes Tammy, I'm sure," Luke sighed. "On the second thought, tell the others the war council we will be convening in half an hour."

Tammy glowed at the instruction and jumped, navigating the steep slope with ease and grace, leaving Luke to slowly pick his way around, clutching necklace and sheathing Backbiter at his back. He looked at the necklace again, at the trident inlaid with the pinkish pearl and the obsidian black conch shell pendants hanging off of it.

 _I'm sorry Sephie, but this is the only way I can save you._

But even as he told himself that, Luke could not escape the feeling he was lying to himself. Why else would he hurt Sephie like this? He knew what had he done when he took the pendants from the daughter of Poseidon, and he feared Sephie will never forgive him.

 _"_ _Not bad, Thorn, not bad at all," Luke smirked as he watched Sephie laying on the ground unconscious. "Not the child of the Big Three I was expecting, but I can work with this."_

 _The manticore looked very pleased with himself. "It was no easy feat, getting her away before she fell to her father's domain or escaped with the Hades brats."_

 _Luke hummed, the idea forming in his head. If he pulled this off, he would get both Artemis under the sky and some private time with Sephie to suss out if the little gift he gave her on_ _ **Princess Andromeda**_ _did its job. Double plus in his books._

 _"_ _Call Hecate, I need her expertise," Luke ordered. "And then you're free to do whatever you want. Who needs children of Hades or Zeus when we have the firstborn mortal daughter of Poseidon?"_

 _Manticore grinned at the unspoken praise in Luke's voice and bounded out of the clearing that would eventually become the throne room. Atlas, still stuck underneath the sky behind Luke, grunted impatiently._

 _"_ _What's taking you so long, godling?" son of Iapetus demanded. "You and uncle promised me freedom!"_

 _"_ _I know, but we need to find someone who will be able to hold up the sky for an extended period of time," Luke pacified the Titan General. "Hecate will disguise me, Sephie will take the sky in my stead, and then we will be able to trick Artemis into taking."_

 _Atlas shifted slightly without speaking anything, but Luke could tell the Titan was impressed._

 _"_ _You called for me, godling?" Hecate glided into the room before catching the sight of Sephie on the ground. "Is that – ?"_

 _"_ _Persephone Jackson, daughter of Poseidon, yes," Luke confirmed. "It's time to get General from under the sky."_

 _"_ _And how may I be of assistance?" Hecate's voice and face revealed nothing of her inner thoughts._

 _"_ _I need a disguise," Luke explained, pulling out the picture of him and Annabeth, taken just after she returned from the quest for the Master Bolt. "The girl will never take the sky if she knows it's me. But if she believes it's her friend Annabeth…"_

 _Hecate nodded, taking the picture. "How recent is the picture?"_

 _"_ _Year and half old," Luke admitted sheepishly. "I don't have anything more recent."_

 _Hecate shook her head, smiling. "No worries, godling. It's more than enough." She snapped her fingers, and Luke felt a gust of wind envelop him._

 _Atlas chuckled behind them. "You have not lost your touch, cousin."_

 _Hecate made a face, but did not comment on Atlas calling her his cousin, focusing on Luke. "This image will not endure long under the pressure of the sky. Pray that daughter of Poseidon wakes soon."_

 _"_ _She will," Luke chuckled, bending down to tear off Sephie's necklace before talking up to Atlas. "She's like a cockroach: impossible to kill, forever bouncing back to annoy me and wreck my plans."_

 _(time skip)_

 _After Artemis took Sephie's place under the sky, Luke carried the barely conscious demigoddess to the room with Kronos' sarcophagus. She managed to endure far longer than Luke had expected her to, but she was so drained she couldn't stay on her feet._

 _"_ _Put me down!" Sephie hissed, wriggling feebly in Luke's arms, only prompting him to hold her tighter, inhaling her scent of sea and apples._

 _"_ _You can barely keep your eyes open, Sephie," Luke chided, opening the door with his foot, "and you want to walk? You'll collapse the moment I put you down!"_

 _"_ _Better than being carried by you!" Sephie trashed, but Luke didn't allow her to move too much._

 ** _So stubborn,_** _Kronos chuckled, speaking to both Luke and Sephie in their minds, effectively freezing the girl._ _ **Finally, you visit me, granddaughter. I've been waiting to meet you in person for a long, long time.**_

 _"_ _I could've done without it," Sephie spit. "Let me go, Luke!"_

 _"_ _Ah, no," Luke refused to let go of her, now that he had her where he wanted her. "You're still far too weak. Your father would kill me if I let anything happen to his little Princess."_

 _"_ _He'll kill you either way," Sephie hissed, trying to wriggle her way out of Luke's hold to no avail._

 ** _I believe my granddaughter is very much right, Lucas_** **,** _Kronos was amused by the scene, and Luke didn't know what to think of the fact._ _ **Poseidon has always been extremely possessive of his children. But it hardly matters, my dear. The Olympus will fall, and your father with it, by your hand.**_

 _"_ _Never," Sephie denied vehemently. "I won't betray my family!"_

 ** _Your loyalty is admirable,_** _and Kronos did sound quite impressed by it._ _ **If only your look-alike had been as loyal to me as you are to your family.**_

 _"_ _Your own damn fault for eating your children!" Sephie hissed. "Gods, I can see where Uncle Z gets his paranoia and dramatizing from!"_

 _Kronos chuckled._ _ **So, so stubborn. It seems the usual methods will not be enough. Lucas, lay her on the altar.**_

 _Luke blinked. The altar? He craned his neck, and sure enough, an ornate altar rested just behind the sarcophagus, half-hidden in the shadows and the mist surrounding and penetrating Mount Othrys. It was done beautifully, all swirls and stylized flowers on the base and flat top, but it did not bear any signs it belonged to a deity._

 ** _What are you waiting for, Lucas?_**

 _Luke shook his head, taking Sephie to the altar and laying her down, but not before shrugging off his coat and wrapping it around her. They may have been in California, but the nights on Othrys were cold, not to mention the altar was marble._

 _Sephie looked in distaste at the coat, but she didn't say anything, huddling in it._

 ** _Come here._**

 _Luke went to the sarcophagus and knelt at the base, feeling the Titan King's presence at the nape of is neck._

 ** _Distract her,_** _Kronos murmured in his mind._ _ **Do whatever you wish, but she must not be heard by the rest.**_

 _Luke froze, heart speeding up until he thought it would crack his ribs. There weren't a lot of the ways he could think of that would shut Sephie up. In fact, there was only one surefire way – the way he had discovered just before he poisoned her near the Zephyrus creek, and he doubted the trick would twice in a row._

 _He couldn't disobey, however. As much as he wished Sephie no harm, he valued his life and sanity a bit more._

 _Walking like his feet were made out of lead, Luke walked to Sephie, who was eyeing him suspiciously, and sat next to her on the altar. He searched her face, seeking any spark of affection she once felt for him, but he couldn't see past the storms in her eyes and the smooth surface she presented._

 _Hesitantly carding his fingers through Sephie's pitch-black locks, he leaned close to her, but did not attempt anything else, deciding to go the roundabout route. He had no idea what Kronos wanted to do, but Luke hoped light talk would be a sufficient distraction._

 _"_ _Feeling any better?" he murmured into her ear and the girl shifted, prompting Luke to place one of his palms on her shoulder to prevent her from moving. "I'm being serious, Sephie."_

 _"_ _I'd be better if I were on the opposite coast from you and Grandpa dearest," Sephie growled, but kept her voice in the same noise level as Luke. "But I'm alive, so I guess I'm okay."_

 _"_ _I never intended for you to die," Luke confessed nearly soundlessly. "You don't need to be Olympus' martyr, Sephie. You can live safely with your mother, far away from here. No one will bother you: you will be beyond reach."_

 _"_ _And what's the price?" Sephie whispered, eyes a little misty. "Annabeth told me about gifts and favors from immortals. No such thing as free lunch, Luke. What's the price?"_

 _Luke sighed, pressing his forehead against Sephie's, his lips inches away from hers. He knew she was right, but he didn't want to tell her what would the price be. She was better off staying far away from him. Unfortunately, Luke could not stay away from her, and neither could his Master. For all he didn't know about Kronos' plans for Sephie, he did know some things, and he was afraid he liked them far too much._

 _"_ _One night," Luke muttered. "One night, willingly spent on Othrys."_

 _Sephie's eyes flared open, and she tried to sit up, opening her mouth, but Luke could not let her make a sound, so he crashed his lips against hers, effectively shutting her up, only to groan at the taste. Dear Fates have mercy on him, for he would be going to Fields of Punishment for the thoughts he was having! Sephie was seven years younger, barely fourteen, and Luke was nearing his twenty-first birthday; he shouldn't think of her like this, let alone want her! But his traitorous body did not give a damn, pressing the Sea Princess to the altar until he was kneeling beside her, their mouths savagely fighting for dominance._

 _Unlike their first kiss in the Camp, Sephie did not hesitate to try and push him away; when that and biting his lip didn't work, she started fighting him, revealing a bit of experience beside the sheer determination. Luke's age showed, however, and before either of them realized, he had her pinned down completely, hovering over her as he pulled away to catch breath._

 _It was that moment when Luke noticed something strange about Sephie: instead of rage or any other negative emotions, Sephie's face showed intense concentration and flashes of pain here and there._

 _"_ _What?" Luke whispered, cradling Sephie's face between his palms. "What's going on?"_

 ** _Your little present, Lucas,_** _Kronos chuckled._ _ **Now we only need to wait; for not even my oldest son will be able to help her with this. She will be one of us, one way or another.**_

 _Luke stared at the girl as she scrunched her face in an expression of pain before relaxing, feeling horror spread through his veins and slowly eroding his faith in Kronos. First the Achilles' Curse, now a harmless enchantment Luke cast on Sephie to let him communicate with her in her dreams hurting her like this…_

 ** _What have I done?!_**

* * *

 ** _NOW he gets cold feet... you know, I always wondered why Luke tried to run away with Annabeth in the canon. I don't buy the theory he got scared by the idea of hosting Kronos - he must've known it was a possibility. No, I think it was something a bit more personal... and I went with it._**

 ** _Oh, and a tiny confession from me: I was hoping you'd choose Luke. I was really hoping. For some reason I'm a sucker for impossible loves in true Greek fashion. (The only reason why I read the entire Starcrossed saga. For those who don't know what in Hades I am talking about, google Josephine Angelini, Starcrossed. For those that do...*growls at Daphne* you know what I mean.)_**


	10. Partying and Valentines, Olympus style

_**A little comedic relief from the rather loaded two chapters before this one! It's a bit late because RL sank its claws into me - first uni, then my family... yeah.**_

 _ **I find it quite cute you want me to do Luke/Sephie... maybe I'll make a long one-shot about them after I finish this. ;)**_

 _ **One guest asked me why Luke asks himself 'what have I done?' - he asks for everything he had done: poisoning Sephie, assaulting her, taking her weapon and a precious gift from her father... not exactly a nice list so far. Kronos using the enchantment to hurt her was just the straw that broke the camel's back.**_

* * *

The strict bedrest, by the orders of both Apollo and Hades, was slowly starting to get to the daughter of the Sea, and Hades sighed as Bianca burst into his office, red-faced and dragging Sephie in with her. This was the third time today, and it was barely past the noon. He was starting to regret offering Sephie to stay in the Underworld so he could monitor her condition.

"Uncle, I can do some light exercise!" Sephie complained before anyone had said anything. "Apollo said so!"

"You challenged _Achilles_ to a sword match!" Bianca yelled, shadows going haywire around her in response to her anger. "Freaking _Achilles!_ That's _not_ light exercise Apollo was talking about!"

"It's the only type of exercise that'll keep me alive!" Sephie argued, crossing her to stare her younger cousin down. "Thalia, you, Nico and I – we can't lower our guards for a second, Bia! If the monsters don't try to get to us, Grandpa dearest and his minions will!"

"You're safe here, Sephie, at least temporarily!" Bianca mirrored the older girl's pose, onyx and stormy green eyes clashing. "Why can't you let Father, Nico, Lord Apollo and I take care of you?"

"Because I'm no damsel in distress, Bia," the words were spoken in an almost pleasant tone, but Sephie's blank face and hurricanes in her eyes revealed her true feelings. "Grandpa won't spare me just because I'm sick – in fact, he's the one who caused this. He wants me to give in and join him, and I'd rather jump down into Tartarus then do that! I need to be ready when he tries something worse!"

"You don't think…?" Bianca looked worried, and Hades pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Bianca, Sephie, enough," the Lord of the Underworld ordered, and the two girls fell silent. "Bianca is right Sephie: light exercise does _not_ mean sparring with Achilles. Unfortunately, Sephie is also right: I doubt the simple maiming of the soul-body connection was Father's true goal. Maybe you two should spar?"

Sephie gave Bianca a dubious look. "Aren't you the bow and arrows girl?"

"And knives and daggers," Bianca bristled a bit at the indirect insult, "sword girl."

" _Xiphos_ ," Sephie corrected, "but essentially yes. Trident, too, but…" here she grimaced, and Hades' eyes widened. Children of Poseidon always did seem to be at ease with tridents in their hands, and Hades knew Poseidon had given Sephie her own trident. So, what happened?

"You lost it?" Bianca tilted her head, and Sephie shook her head in negative.

" _He_ took it on Mount Tamalpais," she explained, and Bianca gasped.

"What?!"

"A good move, objectively speaking," Sephie shrugged, leaning on the doorpost. "One command, and I would be gone before you could say 'cheese'. The pendant was enchanted to transport me to Atlantis."

Hades nodded. Poseidon and he collaborated on the pendants they gave to their children, and the lord of the Dead personally enchanted them.

"It was just a bad luck it hid my trident as well."

Bianca sighed. "Okay. So, a spar?"

Sephie smirked, detaching herself from the wall. "I thought you'd never ask, Bia. Oh, and Uncle?" she directed the question to Hades. "Is everything ready for tomorrow?"

Bianca suddenly grinned, all teeth on the display. "Yes, Father, is _everything_ ready?"

Hades rolled his eyes and nodded, eliciting a yelp from the demigoddesses and a high five.

"Brilliant! He won't know what hit him! Come on, Bia!" Sephie all but dragged her younger cousin through the door in an inverse of what happened several minutes before.

Hades shook his head, but could not find it in himself to stop the two schemers. He remembered his own time with his brothers and sisters before Zeus started whoring around, and harmless pranks on their birthdays was a staple. Nico will have to learn to deal with it, or retaliate on girls' birthdays.

Whichever the response, Hades knew the 24th of January would be _very_ interesting this year.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Neeks/Nico/Niccolo!" was the general shout when Bianca pushed still sleepy Nico through the dining room doors. Hades and Persephone presided over the event, joined in by Thanatos, Charon, Poseidon, Apollo and Hermes from the immortal side and Thalia, Sephie and Annabeth from the demigod side.

Hades had to admit his son looked quite adorable all flustered; he kept looking around, muttering wildly to himself, obviously having hard time processing it all.

"C'mon, cuz, smile a little! 11th birthday is important!" Thalia was the first to come over, giving Nico a noogie and messing up Nico's already mussed-up bedhead. Nico yelped and ducked away, but he only ran straight into Annabeth's arms, who all but crushed him to death.

"Oh no Neeks, you're not going anywhere!" Daughter of Athena laughed, repeating Thalia's gesture and mussing up the son of Hades' hair. "We all need to give you some love!"

"Gah – Annabeth, lemme go!" Nico trashed in her grip, to no avail. "Dad! Bia, Sephie!"

"Oh no, son, you're on your own there," Hades chuckled, exchanging nostalgic looks with Poseidon. "We used to do the same thing to Zeus when we were younger and still celebrated our birthdays, remember?"

"Oh yes," Poseidon snorted, grinning like a loon. "Then he'd try to zap us, but I'd drench him and he'd end up electrocuting himself. Fun times!"

Everyone in attendance giggled and chuckled at the image, and Nico used the amusement to escape Annabeth –

"Ho, ho, _Niccolo,_ where do you think you're going?" Sephie trapped him in a bear hug, lifting him up slightly for a good measure. "You're the birthday boy, so why are you running away?"

"Sephie!" Nico whined. "Why are you so mean to me?"

"Because it's your birthday, cousin," Apollo shook his head, a dim aura of the Sun surrounding him. "We get to royally embarrass you, shower you with gifts, and eat cake. That reminds me: why did we stop celebrating birthdays on Olympus? I mean, we don't need to say how old are we, but what about the gifts and sweets?"

"Fates, Apollo, do you want Olympus to explode?" Hermes snorted. "Remember what happened on the last birthday we celebrated?"

Apollo shook his head in befuddlement, and the demigods turned to the blushing Poseidon, smirking Hades, and confused Persephone and Thanatos.

"It was before you and I married, Persephone, so you wouldn't remember, but Zeus threw a party to celebrate his birthday," Hades recounted the story, more than eager to rib Poseidon a little for the mess he caused at the party. It was hilarious at the time, but the subsequent months brought on the Peloponnesian Wars, one of the most destructive battles Sparta and Athens had, and Hades was left with a colossal migraine, wrist cramp and bags underneath his eyes after the dust had settled. "Dionysius was more than a little drunk, and he left the wine jugs unwatched, so Aphrodite mixed in a potion she got from Hecate into a few and gave the gods to drink."

Hermes pinched the bridge of his nose at the reminder, and Thanatos groaned.

"I remember this story!" The winged god griped. "By the Creator, I wanted to strangle both Aphrodite and Hecate for the chaos they caused! The Peloponnesian Wars were a terror to manage!"

"What potion?" Bianca asked, looking a little pale.

"Aphrodisiac," Poseidon moaned, hiding his face behind his palms. "By the Fates, why did you have to bring that up, Hades?"

"Because I like holding it over your head," Hades crossed his arms with a wicked smirk. "Too bad _she_ doesn't remember any of it."

"Dad?" Sephie asked, turning to her father, eyes wide. "Don't tell me it was…"

"Yes," Hades confirmed, enjoying the look of mortification his little brother sported. "Athena and Poseidon had quite a make-out session, until Zeus caught them, of course."

Hermes turned to his uncles, jaw slack. "So I _wasn't_ seeing things? You two going at it like -"

"Stop it!" Both Sephie and Poseidon looked like someone drenched their faces in red paint, but Sephie was the only one who could speak. "TMI! I don't want to know!"

Others did not think so, and joined Hades in laughing at the poor Sea God and his daughter's mortification. Thalia was rolling around with Nico on the floor, Apollo and Hermes were clutching at each other to avoid the same fate, while Persephone, Bianca and Thanatos just laughed, being lucky enough to have wall to lean against.

"But the best part was Zeus chasing Poseidon around with his Bolt for touching his baby girl, but he was so drunk, he kept falling on his face!" Hades finished the story, eliciting a new round of laughter.

"Y-you're joking!" Thalia sputtered, still laughing like mad. "Y-you're m-making it up!"

"I am telling you nothing but truth, my dear," Hades grinned wickedly. "I dearly wish we had cameras back then… Dear Fates, the things we had done! All those millennia we spent moving around mellowed us out quite a bit, I assure you!"

"That it did," Poseidon commented, managing to bring his blush under control. "At least, you and I did. Zeus still has a pole stuck up his _podex_."

"And no amount of time that passes will change that," Hades groaned mock-tiredly, "if the current record is anything to go by."

"Okay, enough teasing others," Bianca clapped her hands. "It's Nico's birthday: we should be teasing him!"

"Why meee?" Nico wailed, much to the eruption of giggles and snorts from everyone present.

* * *

The birthday party was only a glimpse of what gods could really do when they started meddling with their children's lives, and Hades dearly hoped Sephie would not kill him or her father for what they had started. In their defense, they needed to get all those lovestruck idiots to back off, and it was the fastest solution. Sephie's patience was an acceptable collateral.

Not if you asked her, though.

"What in the name of Olympus possessed you to declare such a thing, Uncle?!" Sephie raged in her apartment, finally free from the bedrest orders. "Correction, what possessed you _and_ Dad? Grandpa?!"

Hades flinched and sank deeper into the leather couch inside Sally and Sephie Jackson's apartment. The smell of sea and lavender was soaked into every square inch of the space, which would usually calm the Lord of the Dead down quickly, but right now, it only heightened his fear of Sephie's wrath. There was a good reason why he never ended up on the other end of a woman's wrath (Demeter being the sole exception, but Persephone was too irresistible) – he was way too smart for that.

Unfortunately, he forgot just how atypical his niece was in that regard.

"Do not even joke like that, my dear," Hades sighed. "To be honest, your father and I simply wanted some peace and quiet – the sheer number of letters and people knocking on our doors to ask for permission to spend Valentine's Day with you was becoming ridiculous."

"So you thought telling everyone if they want to be with me, they have to impress me? Nice _work_ , Uncle!" Sephie huffed, crossing her arms. "I swear, if I get another guy flashing in my kitchen or knocking on my door with a Valentine gift for me, I will throw him out of the window!"

"Only boys?" Hades raised his eyebrow. He was merely teasing his little niece, but he had to check, just in case. It wouldn't do to leave things unconfirmed.

"Only boys," Sephie confirmed. "I don't bat for the home team."

"Good to know," Hades smirked. "One thing less for your father and I to worry about when it comes to dating."

"Uncle!" Sephie protested vehemently, crossing her arms. "I can find a boyfriend on my own, thank you very much!"

"Oh, we know you can," Hades shook his head, "but you underestimate what kind of power lust has over the Olympians. We sire children because we do not wish to fade, yes, but we only need a dozen or so children to exist at the same time, yet Apollo and Hermes Cabin are overflowing with demigods. Hermes is not as much at fault as is Apollo, but the basic concept holds the same. Pretty women have always been a weakness of immortals, and you, my dear, have long since passed the line of being 'just pretty'."

Sephie snorted and leaned back on the counter. "Are you joking, Uncle? I've seen goddesses, nymphs and naiads – how special can I look next to Aphrodite, Hera or even my stepmother?"

"And that's exactly why we go to the mortal world," Hades smiled and leaned forward. "The beauty of mortality is the fact you never know when The Fates will declare your time over, so you try to do as many things as you can cram in it. Immortality quickly becomes monotonous, and if there's one thing gods cannot stand, it's boredom."

"Don't I know that," Sephie sighed with a put-upon air before her face changed to a more serious expression. "But one would think they wouldn't sleep around as much when they realize how many of their children die before even reaching the camp, not to mention how many don't survive their teens."

Hades sighed, well aware of the fact – demigods were one of the only people nowadays that paid him in drachmas, and in return Hades always allowed them to skip the line and arrive at the Judgement Hall almost as soon as their souls left their bodies. The tallies of the dead Olympian children he compiled every year before the Winter Solstice never failed to bring about a small depression spell.

"Like I said, pretty women have been our weakness for a long time. Your father, Zeus and I learned to control ourselves a long time ago; forty years without a child or even a quiet side affair is quite commendable. The younger gods… they'll learn one day. They'll have enough of seeing their children die and stop siring more than a few children every century."

Sephie blinked at the dark turn their conversation took and tilted her head.

"Is this about Nico and Bianca's mum again?"

Hades shook his head, feeling Pluto rumble sorrowfully at the back of his mind. Hazel Levesque, while not technically Hades' child, remained one of his biggest regrets. He could not fault his daughter for giving her level best to save her mother from a harsh punishment, but it did not lessen the sting of betrayal and guilt he felt whenever he thought of Marie and Hazel Levesque.

"Do not fret, my dear niece, I've had several millennia to get used to the pain of losing your children and lovers."

Sephie pushed herself away from the counter and walked to her uncle, plopping down next to him and huddling at his side. Hades flinched at first from the unexpectedness of the gesture, but he eventually put his arm around her shoulder, holding her close to him and smoothing down her hair.

"Don't get used to it, Uncle," Sephie mumbled into Hades' shirt. "Don't make the same mistake I made. Never get used to pain."

Hades blinked and looked down at the human ball at his side. "Is there something you want to tell me, Persephone Jackson?"

Sephie flinched at the usage of her full name.

"Nothing important, Uncle."

"It didn't sound like nothing, Sephie." He placed a finger under her chin and gently forced her to lift it to look her into the eyes. "What are you not telling me?"

Sephie tried to avert her eyes, but Hades wouldn't allow it. "Love problems," Sephie mumbled at last, flush on her cheeks revealing just how uncomfortable she was admitting it.

Hades raised his eyebrows. "I was not aware you had a boyfriend, Sephie."

Sephie's blush worsened, and she closed her eyes to avoid looking into the hypnotizing onyxes Hades shared with his predecessor in the Underworld, Iapetus. "I don't."

"Then how -?"

"Please don't ask, Uncle," Sephie sighed, huddling even closer to Hades. "I don't want to think about it. Can we just wait for my mum and Paul to return without talking?"

Hades considered the request before agreeing to it, and before they knew it, Sephie was sleeping, her head in her Uncle's lap and drooling, and Hades threw his head back, mind lost in Morpheus' realm, one hand resting on Sephie's forehead.


	11. Battles won and lost

_**This is super, super late compared to my standards, and all I can say in my defense is: RL caught up to me. All I ask is for you guys to be patient and continue reviewing, favoring, following and reading this story! No worries, I'm not abandoning it anytime soon... although I might have to slow down the updates.  
**_

 _ **Fun fact: while I was writing this chapter, instead of writing Lord of Underworld, I accidentally wrote Lord of UN several times... xD Imagine that happening!**_

* * *

Hades wanted to curse himself for his foolishness. Maybe, just this once, his idiotic baby brother had been onto something when he restricted gods from interacting with half-bloods. The last time he had been this distracted was before he had taken his Persephone into the Underworld, which happened good several millennia ago. Now another Persephone and Niccolo were messing with his head, and he _hated_ it.

"I will _murder_ your brat if she doesn't manage to do that herself, Poseidon!" Hades growled at his younger brother through the Iris Message. "Do you have _any_ idea how much mess she managed to create with her latest stunt?!"

"At least you're not her father!" Poseidon retorted hotly, white and grey locks floating around his face. "It was pure coincidence that Delphin had been in the area, so I heard she landed on Ogygia immediately!"

Hades pinched the bridge of his nose. "That would explain why Bianca and Nico cannot reach her via shadow-travel." He didn't want to admit it out loud, but he had been worried to death Sephie had been snatched once again and taken by the Titan forces to Mount Othrys to finish what their Father had started months prior.

He didn't often think about the mangled mess of Sephie's soul-body connection he and Apollo patched together. It was stable now, after all. However, Hades held no illusions about Kronos' intentions. There were very few reasons why would you try to damage that connection, and none of them were good.

"At least she's relatively safe."

"Relatively," Poseidon agreed reluctantly, and a flash appeared in the background. Lord of the Sea winced, one more lock whitening out. "I'm sorry brother, I have to go."

"May the Fates be with you," Hades nodded in recognition. Poseidon had been fighting for the last six months, and the stress was getting to the usually laid-back god. Hades had only seen him show that age in Gigantomachy, when he purposefully aged himself to lull Polybotes into false sense of security.

"Thank you, and with you too." With those words, Poseidon cut the connection, and Hades leaned back into his throne with a heavy sigh. The usual mountain of the paperwork had tripled in the last two days, and Lord of the Dead did not look forward to it.

Why, oh why did his niece have to blow up that blasted volcano?!

"Father-" Nico knocked on the open door not a minute later of the office before stopping dead in his tracks. "Father?"

"Niccolo," Hades sighed, closing his eyes and shaking out the tension in his wrist. "What brings you here?"

"Sephie," dark-haired boy answered, carefully wading through towers of paperwork to reach his father's chair. "Do you need help, Father?"

"I will manage," Hades shot a disgusted look at the newest pile of papers with a gold outline. He did not need to know how many demigods died in the last twenty-four hours due to the minor skirmishes with monsters. "What about Sephie?"

"Do you know where she is?" Nico asked, perching himself at the edge of the table not overflowing with files. "Camp wants to declare her dead, and my word is not enough since I can't reach her."

A bubble of anger appeared in Hades' gut, and he let out a soft snarl. "Short-sighted, moronic children with over-inflated ego! You're my son, and Sephie is your cousin; you would know the moment she entered my realm!"

"That's what I've been telling them!" Nico mirrored his father's indignation, but his face quickly transformed into a long-suffering expression. "But of course they wouldn't listen. _You're eleven years old, kid,_ " Nico imitated one of the nameless campers in falsetto. " _Your powers are not yet developed._ I am son of Big Three – our powers don't follow normal learning curve! Olympus, Sephie could make pipes explode when she was nine; Thalia electrocuted a creepy hobo that followed her when she was eight! Is it such a stretch to believe I can sense when a demigod's soul enters the Underworld?!"

Hades shook his head, more than familiar with Nico's complaints. He got them from every child he had ever attended the camp. "They never will. Mortals instinctively fear death, and do not even try to understand it."

"Sephie and Uncle Poseidon do not seem to," Nico admitted, tilting his head. "I mean, at Westover, she always talked about this place as 'gloomy, but cool', and Uncle didn't seem bothered when he came here for my birthday."

"My brother had long been the only connection between Olympus and I, and he never quite developed the aversion for the underground the rest of our family shares." Hades shrugged. "And he is one of the only gods who is completely in tune with their realms. As for Poseidon's children, they are almost as misunderstood as mine," Hades explained. "More than a few of them – Sephie included, I suspect – have had a gift for creating earthquakes, and were shunned for it."

Nico's eyes widened. "By gods…" he whispered, a note of terror entering his voice. "So I _wasn't_ imagining things, when I felt Labyrinth shake hours before the eruption!"

Hades shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. It isn't a common gift in Poseidon's line – creating storms and hurricanes seems to appear more often – but when it does happen… it rarely ends well. Remember the earthquake of 1906?" Nico nodded. "One of Poseidon's children got a little too ambitious, and tried to raze Mount Tamalpais."

"Idiot," slipped out of Nico's mouth, and Hades chuckled at the mortified blush on his son's face.

"Idiot indeed," Lord of the Dead agreed. "Not only he failed to do so, he also managed to label every one of his future siblings with that gift as 'dangerous'. Sephie will have to fight to be accepted after that fact is revealed."

"I'm not sure she knows, though," Nico speculated with a deep frown that did not belong on the face of an eleven-year-old. "And even if she does, I doubt she can control it."

"Oh, I believe she knows," Hades shook his head. "But I think she's scared of it, and not without reason. Earthquakes are very, very difficult to control or focus, for that matter."

Nico sighed. "Don't we know. But, you didn't tell me. Where is Sephie?"

"Ogygia," Hades said after a few seconds of deliberation. "Calypso will send her on her way soon."

"Ogygia, from _Odyssey_?" Nico wanted to clarify. "That Ogygia?"

"Yes," Hades nodded. "Don't worry, Calypso's curse only works with male heroes – Sephie will only find a good friend in her."

Nico nodded and disappeared in a burst of shadows, leaving his father to go back to the mountain of paperwork the eruption of Mt. Helens caused.

* * *

The battle of Labyrinth, as the demigods started to call Kronos' invasion of Camp Half-Blood, was a painful remainder of how fragile Nico, Bianca and Sephie were. For all the allure and beauty the mortality granted them, it also cursed them with the lifespan that will be cut far too soon by the immortals' standards. He will never forget Nico's screams as he woke up from yet another nightmare about the demigods he had killed in the battle, nor Bianca's hollow, glassy eyes as she played with her dagger in front of the enormous fireplace in the kitchens.

But, most importantly, he will never forget tears in Sephie's eyes as she limped into his throne room, her _peplos_ finally replaced by a _chiton_. He had never seen anyone, be they mortal or immortal, resemble his mother after the first Titanomachy so much. She looked like an empty shell that had been shattered then haphazardly put together, and it tore at Hades' heart. It was the sole reason he invited her to spend a week with his children in the Underworld. Normally, Poseidon would be all over her, but he was under the siege in Atlantis. The rumors were, he walked out of the Winter Solstice meeting to stop it, and never returned, and Hades was worried about him.

A knock sounded on the doors of his bedroom.

"Come in," Hades called quietly, and Sephie slipped inside, silent like a ghost. "Sephie?"

The girl didn't respond, gliding over to her uncle's bed and sitting on the edge. Hades was starting to get worried.

"Sephie? Are you alright?"

Sephie still didn't respond, but she did move, until she was laying down at Persephone's side of the bed, curled in a ball.

Hades watched the whole thing with mounting worry before he scooted over to her, gently tugging the sheets from underneath her.

"Don't."

The Lord of the Underworld stopped with trying to cover her niece. Her voice was hoarse, and Hades could hear the distant tears she was not letting spill.

"You'll catch cold," Hades argued gently, trying to cover her again, only for the girl to bat the fabric away.

"I deserve it," she mumbled, and in that moment Hades threw all propriety and decorum out the proverbial window. Scrambling across the enormous bed, the immortal caught the mortal into a hug and pressed her back against his chest, opening the dams in the girl.

She sobbed openly, brokenly, repeating the names of all the fallen demigods on both sides like a chant. Interspread with the names were curses hurled at Fates, her father, her grandfather, her uncles, and herself. Hades only clutched her harder, letting her fall apart in safety of his arms.

"W-why d-don't y-you h-hate me, uncle?" Sephie hiccuped after a few minutes.

"We're at war, my dear niece," Hades explained, feeling his heart constrict. By the Creator… the last time he felt so much emotion was before the Trojan War, when he was still celebrated as kind, but stern ruler of the dead. Then again, he was very, very young back then. "Death is a normal thing. If you win, no one will ask how many you have sacrificed."

"No one but you and my heart, you mean," Sephie shook her head, curling even further into a ball. "I can hear their voices, you know. Asking me why didn't I spare them, why didn't I save them."

"Cease that line of thought," Hades ordered, but he wasn't harsh with his tone. "You did your best at that moment. How many chances were given to those that turned away from Olympus? How many hours did your friends at Camp spent training for the war? You cannot save everyone, Sephie. Fates cut their strings – there was nothing you could do."

"Yeah, right," Sephie snorted. "Some hero I am – not even able to save her own friends-"

"Stop it!" Hades cut her off. "This war started long before the humanity started inscribing their history! You were simply born at the wrong time, to a wrong parent, and therefore marked for the leadership in war. Accept it, or by the Fates, I will throw you into Phlegethon until those notions vaporize from your seaweed-filled head!"

Sephie giggled hysterically, despite the seriousness of the words. "S-seawe-ed f-filed?!"

Hades chuckled as well, a little mortified, but glad to hear Sephie laugh again.

"Yes, seaweed-filled, brat!"

Sephie exploded into uncontrollable laughter.

* * *

As awkward as their conversation had been, it helped clear the air a lot, and by her fifteenth birthday, Sephie finally looked more like the girl Hades had met three years ago in the dirty Manhattan apartment.

"Thank you," Poseidon said without preamble as he walked into Hades' throne room on Sephie's birthday, _again_ without giving his older brother any prior notice.

"Learn how to knock, Kelp Brain," Hades shot back, but couldn't deny the gratitude did not feel nice. "And you're quite welcome, whatever are you thanking me for."

"Doors are overrated," Poseidon waved away the complaint. "And we both know why am I thanking you in private."

Ah. The two brothers had not yet saw fit to inform their paranoid little brother of the fact Sephie spent a lot of her time in the Underworld, and just how close they were.

"You have nothing to thank me for," Hades shrugged. "I hate seeing Sephie cry. It was like watching Mother Rhea right after the first Titanomachy."

"That bad?" Poseidon winced. All six siblings had banded together, leaving their domains unattended, to console their mother in her grief for the family she still held dear, even after everything that had transpired.

"Yes," Hades sighed, tracing the rim of his Helm. "Thank Olympus I managed to drag her out of her pity-party before she sank any deeper, but it wasn't a pretty image. She blamed herself for the deaths of demigods."

"I know," Poseidon sighed as well, leaning on his Trident. "I talked with her just before I came here. Her mercy and compassion will get her killed one day."

Hades decided not to comment on that, although he had to agree with his brother's frank assessment. Sephie was far too kind sometimes, and even though she could not forgive betrayal, she could still mourn those she had once called family.

"How is her body-soul connection?" Poseidon asked out of the blue, and Hades blinked at the sudden shift.

"Stable. It's far from what it should be for a demigod, but it's stable. She will not be hindered in employing her hydrokinesis."

"Hydrokinesis," Poseidon repeated with a slow nod of his head. "And geokinesis? Don't look at me like that, brother," the Sea Lord chastised his brother when he spotted a shocked look on Hades' face. "I had feared for a long time she would inherit the gift of Neptune bloodline."

Pluto and Hades fought for dominance for a second, making Hades close his eyes as he pushed his Roman aspect back down.

"Why?"

"She's my first daughter," was Poseidon's simple reply. "Most of my sons had the control over storms. It would make sense for Sephie to inherit the 'Earthshaker' part of my title, to complement them."

Hades nodded. "Like Bianca and Nico. Bianca is far more skilled in shadow and Mist manipulation, but Nico is the true Ghost King, like his half-brothers."

"Exactly like that." Poseidon went through his mostly white locks. "I have to go back to Atlantis. Oceanus and I called for a day of truce to honor the dead, but I don't trust him any futher than I can throw him."

"Then go, brother," Hades bowed his head. "I will watch over our impetuous girl."

A small smile appeared at the edges of Poseidon's lips, and he dissolved into a fine sea foam. Not a moment later, Athena burst inside.

"Uncle Hades!"

Hades flinched before sitting up straight. Athena rarely paid social visits to the Underworld, and never when Persephone was not there.

"Yes, Athena?"

"Can I count on your armies to help defend Olympus?" Goddess' normally neatly styled hair was in complete disarray, her armor strapped over her short _peplos_ showed scratches and blood splatters, and the bronze tip of her spear was no longer bronze, but gold from ichor and monster dust.

"Athena, _sit down_." Hades employed his favorite tactic of lulling his visitors by his voice into near-trance state to get Athena to relax, creating a throne for her to collapse in. "Now tell me what do you need, and what is going on."

Athena took a deep breath, a soft smile appearing on her face, before she focused again on her uncle.

"We won't be able to count on the majority of the powerful minor gods," Athena started. "Hypnos, Morpheus, Hecate, Nemesis, the like. Children of Zeus will remain mostly neutral, and the Titans are slowly escaping their prisons. I resealed most of the second-generation ones, but those of the Twelve that were sealed…"

Hades winced. Resealing the original children of Ouranos and Gaea, was _not_ a task he could accomplish without his brothers, so he was now forced to priorise.

"Iapetus is far too gone for my seal to be effective," Hades relayed the situation. "Krios and Hyperion can be let out – Hyperion is a prideful hothead, and Krios is meek, demigods will be able to deal with them. Coeus _is_ a problem – I'll concentrate on him and Phoebe."

Athena bit her lip. "Hyperion is a _very_ good fighter, and Krios may be meek, but he will pose a challenge. And Iapetus…"

"If Zeus or Poseidon were free to assist, I'd be able to seal more of them," Hades sighed. "Unfortunately, your father is busy with rallying our allies and brokering truces with other pantheons, and Poseidon is under near constant siege. Coeus is their main thinker, and Phoebe has a gift of foresight. I seal them, I lower the chances of my Father taking over Olympus the moment he decides to do so."

Athena acknowledged the truth in his words with a nod. "Very well. And the armies you command?"

Hades thought about it. He and his children were far more accepted in the camp than before, mostly due to Sephie's enormous influence, but he was still reluctant to just join in. What had Olympians done for him and his children? Barring Hestia and occasionally Poseidon, nobody tried to include him in anything. They left him in the shadows, to rule the dominion of dead, and refused to even visit him for short periods of time.

But Sephie, and Nico and Bianca…

"I will let them out, under the command of my son," Hades finally granted. "But he will answer only to Persephone Jackson and I. No one else. Is that clear?"

Athena's quicksilver eyes brightened, then narrowed as she processed all the implications of that statement. _Good_ , Hades thought, leaning back into his throne. He had meant for her to recognize just who was the one responsible for his support. Let's see how eager the Council would be to get rid of Sephie now, when two of three sons of Rhea stood behind her.

"It is not an unreasonable request," Athena said after a few moments. "It will be granted." She stood up and turned to go, then stopped. "Thank you, Uncle."

Hades didn't bother hiding a wide grin: pride may be strong in his niece, but not strong enough not to thank him, and boy did he love the fact _he_ was the one they needed.

"You're very welcome, Athena."


	12. Omake: Ares - I can work with her

_**Happy New Year, my fellow readers and writers! I hope it blesses you with a ton of writing ideas!**_

 _ **On the topic of the question the first reviewer this year asked me, this chapter is the first of the 'side-quest' stories I promised. I'm sorry to say I won't be covering the Bronze Dragon story, but I'll be doing heavily-edited Sword of Hades. What can I say, I don't like SoH's Persephone. She's far too manipulative, and doesn't seem to care all that much about Hades, which is a complete opposite of how I imagined and portrayed her here.**_

 _ **So, enjoy the tale of the stolen chariot of Ares!**_

* * *

Ares was a god of war, and was proud of the fact. Forget about the strategy, formations and all that nonsense the bore he had to call his half-sister could wax about all day; give him a weapon and an army, and he will be happy. Unfortunately, the side effect of such lackadaisical attitude was the myth of him being, well… not exactly smart. Ares did not bother correcting the misconception: more people that underestimated him, easier he found to defeat them. Hey, he was a god of war – he knew his strategies!

The defeat he suffered at the hands of Persephone Jackson, on the other hand, was a smarting wound he itched to avenge sooner rather than later. Sure, he wasn't completely in his right mind, with Gramps whispering ideas in his head, but still. Being defeated by a twelve-year-old twerp was an insult he wasn't about to let slide… even if the said twerp was gorgeous as Hades.

What? He had eyes! The girl had been seriously pretty back when she was twelve, and now, at the age of fifteen, Ares was man enough to admit he would go after her if he could get away with it.

Which he wouldn't. Damn, just running the gauntlet against all six elder Olympians was enough to second-guess that idea, not to mention Aphrodite would be annoyed with him for ruining her schemes for the girl. He was not about to lose his on/off lover for a fling like Persephone Jackson, much less his manhood. Poseidon was one _scary_ motherfucker when it came to his Princess and her virtue.

That didn't stop him from messing around with her life, though. The curse he placed on her on the beach in LA all those years ago was a nice touch, but he wanted her to suffer a bit more. He wanted to see her fatal flaw first-hand, and what kind of fears she harbored behind those glowing green eyes. It was no coincidence he sent Phobos and Deimos after Clarisse, forcing his daughter to veer off the planned route and making her practically run into Sea Princess.

"Nice," Ares whistled, watching the scene unfold in the reflection of his shield. Okay, technically it was Bird Brain's shield, not Aegis but the gift from Hephaestus, but two war-oriented siblings had a deal. If one of their children was on a quest, they could have the shield until the other requested it.

Getting off track. _Nice_ was certainly an understatement. Why, oh why didn't the girls fight in their skirts more often? It was hardly a hindrance for a good fighter, and Persephone Jackson was more than just a good fighter. If the prophecy did not hinge the fate of Olympus on a single choice, Ares wouldn't be worried at all.

Clarisse did not seem happy to have the sea brat tag along, and Ares shook his head. Hadn't his hard-headed spawn learned nothing happened without a reason? He was no Oracle, nor did he want to tangle with the whole future-seeing mess, but there was always a good reason why things happened to demigods. The difference this time, of course, was the clear-cut reasoning Ares had. Humiliate Jackson a bit, see how she fought, maybe ogle her a bit… What?! Like he stated before, he was a man, he could see when a girl was pretty!

"Ares?"

Oh brilliant. Bird Brain herself was here, as if summoned by his thoughts.

"Yes, sister?" Ares drawled, spinning in his chair to face Athena, conveniently concealing the shield with his back. "Has Father called for another emergency meeting?"

"No." Now that he looked, Ares could spot golden dots peeking from the creases in her armor, as if someone tried to clean golden stains off quickly. _Oh? What was going on?_ "But we need to coordinate a plan in case Typhon awakens. Fates know Barnacle-Beard's spawn did her best to wake him up."

"Gramps would've woken him up no matter what. He is the 'Titans' Wrath'," Ares shrugged, not interested in listening to the three-thousand-old rivalry speech from Athena. In his opinion, Uncle Poseidon was more humoring Athena these days in her fixation, which was a pity. He missed the good old days, when the two could not be in the same room without nearly raising its roof off. "And from the old cripple told Mr. Sunshine, the girl was trying to stop telkhines from finishing Gramps' scythe."

Athena paled at the news, which honestly surprised Ares. Everyone on Olympus… _ah. Oh._

"How many are out?" The War God asked, all traces of joking gone from his harsh features.

"Three of the brothers, not counting Oceanus and Titan Lord," Athena sighed. "Hyperion and Krios are completely out, and Iapetus will be out around Winter Solstice. The second-generation are all imprisoned, thank Creator."

Ares relaxed a little. If none of the second-generation Titans were mucking around, gods – and him, by extension – will be able to concentrate on Typhon when he wakes.

"Then the plan is simple. Occupy Typhon, and give Jackson girl the reins with defense of Manhattan." Ares leaned back in his chair. "What's there to plan?"

"The girl is barely fifteen, and Kelp Head is her father," Athena frowned at Ares' brazen and, if Ares read her right, in her opinion foolhardy plan. "How will she be able to pull the coordination and the defense of such a huge territory effectively?"

"If you need to ask that, Owl Head, then you're blind," Ares informed Wisdom Goddess bluntly, turning his back to her. "The brat has the respect of every demigod loyal to us; they'll listen to her. And she's neither stupid nor _prideful_ ," he stressed the word, enjoying the sudden electricity that filled the air, "enough not to ask for help. Besides, if she's truly the hero of prophecy, she'll have to make a decision. Better let her make that decision with lives on her back – less likely for her to betray us."

The last part was not necessary with the brat's fatal flaw, but he had to get the idea through Athena's thick skull. When he succeeds, she would leave him, and he will be able to return to watching the mini-mission he set in front of his daughter and sea brat in peace.

"I'll… think about it," Athena finally conceded. "Be ready to answer summons soon – Father and I will be organizing the war council in the next few days."

Ares nodded in understanding, but did nothing more, letting his sister walk herself out of the room. He had spying… ah, watching… to return to.

* * *

After Clarisse managed to return the chariot – in the nick of time, too – Ares decided to go cruising around Manhattan and catch up with the elusive Persephone Jackson. He needed to talk to her – three years was more than enough for his anger to simmer down to the point where he could have somewhat civilized conversation with her.

What he didn't expect, though, was a run-in with Persephone, his half-sister, in Central Park.

"'Phone?" Ares asked, stunned, as he took off his shades to look at the Goddess of Spring lounging on the bench just in the shade of the huge tree.

"Ares," the goddess smiled. "What brings you here?"

"Cruising," he patted Harley, the favorite shape of his chariot nowadays. "I thought Uncle Doom and Gloom had you at this time of the year?"

"I'll be going down," Persephone tilted her head. "I'm just waiting for my escort." She looked up, checking the position of Apollo's chariot, before frowning slightly. "They're a bit late, though."

"I'll keep you company," Ares blurted out before his eyes widened at the implications of his words. Thankfully, Persephone just giggled and scooted over, folding her multi-colored dress to make space for him to sit.

"Thank you. I'm a bit bored, actually," Persephone told him warmly as the War God gingerly sat down next to her. "But I guess something unexpected happened – they'd have sent a notice by now."

"Not your mother, I hope." Ares shuddered at the mere mention of his aunt. Demeter had never been a favorite goddess of his, and since Persephone married to Hades, she became downright impossible to be around.

"No, I've had a parting dinner with Mother yesterday," Persephone shook her head. "Uncle Poseidon and Aunt Amphitrite can't come, with Oceanus' siege and all, but – hello, Sephie, Sally, Bianca, Nico!"

"Lady Persephone!" Four voices chorused, and Ares whipped his head around, finding the girl he had set out to look for right behind him, trailed by what looked like Hades' brats and pretty, middle-aged woman with blue eyes and light brown hair. The woman frowned, eyes darting between him and his Harley, but the Sea Princess saved him from the awkward introductions and explanations.

"Ares?" Persephone Jackson asked, completely taken aback. "Lady Persephone?"

"We ran into each other by accident, Sephie," Persephone reassured the demigoddess, and the entire group of newcomers relaxed a bit. "Nothing intentional."

"Thank Olympus," Jackson girl smiled. "Bianca, Mum, this is Ares. Nico, you already know from the Winter Solstice. Ares, my cousins Bianca and Nico, and my mum, Sally Jackson."

"Still an impertinent brat I see, Jackson," Ares shot, slightly insulted over the fact the brat was more respectful to his sister and her mother than to him.

"Still a sore loser," Sea Princess fired back. "How's your heel these days?" Ares stood up, letting his aura expand, but Persephone tugged him down with a slightly watered-down version of Death Glare she learned from her husband.

"Sephie!" Girl's mother scolded. "He's an immortal!"

"He's an ass that's what he is, Mum," the brat crossed her arms. "But we're here to follow Lady Persephone down, not argue. By the way, Ares, Mum's clear-sighted."

"I know," Ares grumbled, rising off the bench. "I'll be going. See you in six months, 'Phone."

"Ah-ah," Persephone shook her head, stopping him in his tracks. "I was wondering how will we fulfill the six-person quota. You'll stay and help us."

Ares' eyes widened, but before he could protest, Goddess of Spring dragged him over to the heap of rocks in the southern part of Central Park, mortals falling in step with them.

"You ready, Sephie?" The Hades' girl asked, and the sea brat nodded, fiddling with the earbuds hanging out of her hoodie. "Then let's start. Nico?"

Hades' brat – Nico – nodded, and pulled a Stygian Iron sword out of the shadows. Standing behind Persephone Jackson, he gently leaned onto the sword, pushing the girl closer to the rocks. The mortal woman nudges Ares to stand next to Nico, while she walked to stand on the other side. Persephone sat on her heels between her cousin and step-son and closed her eyes.

Sea Princess cleared her throat, put in one of the earbuds and pressed the button on the cord. A moment later, wind picked up as she opened her mouth, throaty yet airy words Ares mindlessly recognized as French spilling from her lips.

 _Je t'aime, je t'aime_ _ **(I love you, I love you)**_ _  
Comme un fou, comme un soldat (_ _ **Like a fool, like a soldier**_ _)  
Comme une star de cinéma (_ _ **Like a movie star**_ _)_

 _Je t'aime, je t'aime (_ _ **I love you, I love you**_ _)  
Comme un loup, comme un roi (_ _ **Like a wolf, like a king**_ _)  
Comme un homme que je ne suis pas (_ _ **Like a man I am not**_ _)_

 _Tu vois, je t'aime comme ça. (_ _ **You see, that's how I love you.**_ _)_

 _(Lyrics taken from Je t'aime, by Lara Fabian)_

The crack in the rocks Ares thought was natural suddenly widened, creating an arch big enough for a mortal to walk through with his head bent down. Persephone stood up, opening her eyes, and soundlessly walked to the arch, pausing for a moment to exchange a wry smile with her namesake, and disappeared through the arch. Hades' brats quickly followed the suit before the gate closed, leaving Ares, Persephone Jackson and her mother to stand awkwardly around the rock heap.

"Let's go home, Sephie," Jackson's mother finally broke the silence, glancing mistrustfully at the War God. Ares couldn't find it in himself to be offended, though. The strange ritual left him feeling drowsy, like Apollo purposefully overdosed his nectar with sedatives to get him to sleep after one of his legendary crashes.

He found his eyes closing for a good nap, but before that happened, someone slapped him clean across the face.

"Don't fall asleep, idiot!" A girl's voice commanded. "Sorry Mum, it seems we'll have to take him with us – he's totally under the spell." Next thing he knew, heavy bass and strange gibberish flooded his ears, forcing him awake.

"Wha-?"

"Spell of the Nature falling asleep," Jackson – Sephie - explained impatiently. "And you're under it. Just stay awake until we can get you away from the Central Park, and you'll be okay."

"How-?" Ares couldn't get his bearings under control. How did he end up falling under the spell? The bass intensified, and he was rudely returned to the real world.

"I'll explain later, now walk and stay awake!" Sephie ordered. "Mum, help me."

After several tense minutes, in which Sephie had to up the volume level of the song three times to keep the War God awake, the strange trio stumbled out of the Central Park. Ares instantly felt better, less woozy and more awake, but it still wasn't quite perfect.

"You should come with us home and eat, Lord Ares," Sally Jackson suggested uneasily. "Nectar and ambrosia won't help you at all, we tried it with Amphitrite and it didn't work."

Ares wanted to refuse, but the washed-out colors of the world around him were freaking him out.

"Okay."

* * *

The dinner in Jackson-Blofis household was a bit strained, but Ares couldn't find fault with the hospitality Sally Jackson showed him. She didn't try to brown-nose – not that he expected her to, she was Uncle Poseidon's ex-lover, not his father's! – but she did go through trouble of adding nectar into portion of the blue chocolate chip cookie batch.

"Thank you, Mrs. Jackson," the War God grudgingly said, and the woman smiled gently.

"No thanks needed, Lord Ares. Between Poseidon's family and Sephie's friends, I'm quite used to immortals and demigods paying me visits and eating my cookies." She sighed, and raised her voice slightly. "Sephie, Paul! Dishes and coffee!"

"Yes, Mum/Sally!" echoed from the farthest room in the apartment, and seconds later, demigoddess and mortal appeared. Sephie instantly bee-lined to the sink and Paul grabbed the coffee mug and leaned on the table to observe Ares.

"So. Greek Myths are real?" Ares blinked at the honest curiosity dripping from the mortal's voice.

"Yes. Didn't you meet my uncles?"

Paul chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Well… to be honest, Poseidon didn't really look like a god, and Sephie is the only one who sees Hades on regular basis. He never came here."

"Don't use the names if you don't have to," Ares warned the man, furrowing his brows. Since when were the Sea Princess and Lord of Dead on good terms? "You really, really don't want to accidentally summon one of us."

"I thought it didn't work for mortals?" Paul had the deer-in-the-headlights look on his face, and Ares shook his head.

"You're involved with an ex-lover of Olympian god, and you treat a demigod like your own child. Monsters will most likely leave you alone, but gods… Let's just say Olympus keeps very close tabs on your step-daughter."

"Wow, that makes me feel so loved," Sephie shouted from the kitchen, shamelessly revealing she had been eavesdropping. "Maybe if you guys would tell me the Great Prophecy, you wouldn't need to follow me around like stalkers."

Ares snorted. Subtlety in conversation – or the lack thereof – seemed to be an inheritable trait with children of Poseidon. "Nice try, girlie. Not worth getting my skin fried by Father."

"Great," demigoddess deadpanned, appearing at the doors of the kitchen with a wet towel in her hands. "One more _brilliant_ idea, courtesy of Uncle Z."

The thunder rattled the window blinds. Paul paled horribly, and Sally rushed into the room in similar state; Ares and Sephie, on the other hand, just rolled their eyes.

"Sarcasm is completely lost on Father," Ares informed Sephie.

"No shit, Sherlock," Sephie yawned. "Mum, I'm done with the dishes, and I think certain god needs to leave the premises before the horde of monsters swarms the block."

Ares tsked at the rudeness, but decided not to do anything. For all danger she posed to Olympus, the girl was a warrior, and he could respect that. He didn't need to like her (even with her hotness level multiplying as she aged) to be able to work with her.

That, however, didn't mean he would help her any more than what he had to. Clarisse was old enough to make her allegiance known to the gods, and if she helped the sea brat defeat Kronos, he will make damn sure everyone knows it.

He was a shitty parent and all-around bastard, as Hephaestus liked to call him, but he wasn't above acknowledging his children's triumphs and rubbing them in others' faces.

Hey, he was a personification of War – and while War was hardly kind or nice, it made sure the names of strong ones will never be lost in the sands of time. Just ask Achilles, or Hector.


	13. Omake: Thalia - Daughters of Big Three

_**Hello my fellow PJO fans... I'm terribly late with this chapter. I know, I know, but I have uni, and finals are only days away. You probably won't get the next chapter before Valentine's day! Be as it may, I'm not abandoning the story. I've invested way too much time and patience into making this entire timeline work!**_

 _ **Speaking of timelines... I've included our favorite son of Jupiter here. I'm not exactly eager to tackle the mess that is Heroes of Olympus - personally, the original series was far better, and less said about the Blood of Olympus fiasco (*cough* nosebleed *cough*) the better - so I'm getting him in here. Who knows, maybe I'll rework the HoO completely after Son of Neptune - the last book that I really enjoyed - but no promises.**_

* * *

Thalia had never expected to live long, not after she lost Jason.

Her little brother had been the light of her life, the only thing she had to live for, and for two years, she did her abject best to be both the sister and mother to the little one. Most would've pitied her, or offered her help; Thalia didn't want either of those. Taking care of a baby was an exhausting job, but Thalia never considered it a job – it was her brother, for gods' sakes! He could never be a burden, a passionless job.

Then her mother left her brother to die, and Thalia's world shattered.

She ran away that same night, only one thought looping in her head: _Jason is dead, and it's my fault._ She wasn't even ten then, and she had no idea where to go, or what to do. She knew she wasn't normal – she had shocked a creeper to death once, and Beryl had often said her father's name was Zeus, the King of Gods.

Thalia had been quite unwilling to believe the deranged ramblings of a drunk woman, but when he returned, Thalia had seen and felt the power of the sky. She smelled the ozone and felt the fresh breeze her father radiated, and more importantly, she had seen him create lightning balls for Jason to play with.

"You're a daughter of the King, Thalia Grace," Zeus told her once, sitting on the veranda under the night sky. "Your powers will be both feared and revered. Do not fail me; do not fail Jason. And most importantly, _never trust my brothers, or his children._ "

Thalia had no idea at the time, but when she set off, she quickly understood what her father talked about. Running across the country, she was hounded by the most vicious monsters, all claiming to serve her father's brother, Hades. She even once ran into his son Zagreus, barely escaping with her soul attached to her body. Needless to say, she had no warm and fuzzy feelings for her older uncle.

Poseidon, though, never seemed to be cross with her. In Florida, she had to escape the legion of _empousai_ _,_ and the only way out of the bind was to climb on the boat and row away. She had not rowed for long, but no monster assaulted her, and no waves bar the normal ones hindered her journey. In fact, Thalia could've sworn she had seen a smiling man's face in the water once as she approached the shore again, not willing to risk her luck.

That being said, she quickly found herself befriending Sephie Jackson, once she was separated from her tree. At first it was the pure gratitude: her cousin snuck out of the camp to help her, and her father had once spared her in his domain, and Thalia felt she owed Sephie a chance. She hated owing people anything.

Soon though, the gratitude transformed into true camaraderie, the two daughters of Big Three often meeting and IM-ing each other to complain about campers, gods and monsters hounding them. They understood each other on the level no other demigod could. They both had that Prophecy hanging over them, and their lineage and powers made them both nice monster chow and powerhouses most seemed to be scared stiff of. Only Annabeth, Grover and Chiron didn't seem to give a damn, and tried to treat them like normal demigods.

However, even they couldn't fully grasp the difficulties the two girls faced all day, every day, and Thalia had to admit she accepted the position of Artemis' lieutenant to escape at least some of the pressure. She felt horribly guilty, of course, but Sephie never held it against her.

"Your temptation is power. You did absolute opposite of what everyone expected you to," Sephie told her on Nico's birthday, smiling as she watched their little cousin jump like a demented rabbit to grab a chocolate bar from Bianca, who held it just out of his reach. "That took guts."

"It was an easy way out," Thalia argued, the worm of guilt lodged in her chest spreading its wings. "And you had it worse than me!"

"Thalia," Sephie laid her palms on Thalia's shoulders. "Thalia, listen. Everyone has their own demons to fight with. I won't ask you, but I know you had reasons beyond fear. Now chin up and walk the road you chose. Do it for me. Be the best lieutenant you can be."

"Sephie -"

"Hush," Sephie covered Thalia's mouth with her hand. "You're my cousin, my family. I'll be there for you whenever you need me."

Thalia's eyes watered. Luke had been the last one who promised her family, and now Sephie was doing the same. Could she trust her?

 _Of course_ , the little voice said at the back of her head. _She risked her life to save yours, without even meeting you._

 _So did Luke_ , her mind countered. _And look what he did to me._

 _Yes, but Sephie's flaw is loyalty, she told you that herself_ , the voice rationalized. _If she considers you her family, she'll never betray you._

Her mind had no rebuttal.

"Thanks, Sephie," Thalia whispered, and Sephie's eyes glistened.

"You're welcome."

* * *

Thalia took Sephie's words to the heart, and talked with older Hunters. She wanted to be more than just lieutenant to those girls – she wanted to be their friend, their confidant. She listened to the tales Phoebe wove of the ancient times, when Orion, Zoe, Ariadne and she accompanied Artemis everywhere, going from Macedonia to Crete, from Epirus to Troy. She played games with the eight-year-old Lily and nine-year-old Janice, and talked with Helena and Marie about the old, aristocratic regimes in Europe they escaped.

Artemis did not fail to notice that, and she summoned Thalia in her tent one night. It was mid-November, if Thalia's sense of time wasn't lying to her, and the bitter winds forced the girls to huddle around the fire, with wolves laying behind them to give them additional warmth.

"My Lady?" Thalia asked, ducking into Artemis' tent the goddess and the lieutenant shared.

"Sit, Thalia," Artemis smiled, petting her favorite wolf. None of the Hunters knew the wolf's name, but the girls suspected it was named after the only boy Artemis ever fancied – Orion. "I see you've been sending a lot of time with the girls."

"I'm their lieutenant," Thalia shrugged as she sat down, cross-legged. "How can I expect them to trust me if I behave like I'm someone above them?"

"Well spoken," Artemis nodded. "You would've been a marvelous leader, Thalia."

Thalia shook her head. "Pardon me, my Lady, but lust for power is my fatal flaw. I'd keep wanting more and more. This," she gestured with her hand, "keeps me anchored. It reminds me of what happens when your flaw overpowers you."

Artemis shook her head, but did not comment. "Do you know how did I name this wolf?" The goddess asked idly, but Thalia got the feeling the question was more than it seemed.

"No, my Lady," Thalia answered truthfully. "None of the girls know."

"But they suspect." The smile on Artemis' face was setting off Thalia's 'something wicked this way comes' bells.

"They do."

Artemis raised her eyebrow, and Thalia relented.

"They think you named him Orion."

Thalia waited for the inevitable burst of temper at the mention of the name, but the goddess only 'hmm'ed, continuing to pet the wolf.

"I see why they would think so," Artemis finally spoke, not lifting her silver eyes from the wolf. "I've never made a secret I was impressed by the boy's archery skills. But I would never name a faithful companion and guide after him." She clicked her tongue, and the wolf jumped up.

" _Περσέας, να οδηγήσει το δρόμο_ ", Artemis ordered, and the wolf bobbed his head before bounding out of the tent. ( _Perseus, lead the way._ )

"Perseus?" Thalia blinked, remembering the story Sephie told her once. "That's strange."

"Strange?" Artemis tilted her head.

"If Sephie had been a boy, her mom would've named her Perseus," Thalia explained, "because he's the only hero who had a happy ending."

Artemis nodded in understanding. "That is why I named my favorite Perseus. His loyalty to his mother and wife was truly admirable. Now go – he will lead you to your task."

Thalia nodded and ran out, easily following the wolf's tracks through the woods. Determination coursed through her veins. Whatever task Lady Artemis set in front of her, she was sure she would be able to complete it….

Or maybe not.

Thalia cursed her own foolishness for what felt like millionth time in the last hour. The task Lady Artemis in front of her was no easy feat, but it wasn't impossible to accomplish, either. Catching the golden stag was actually pretty fun; sneaking up on it, waiting patiently until it dropped its guard, snagging it in a net.

However, the task was only a means to the end. The hunt led Thalia straight to the Central Park, where Persephone dragged her and Sephie down to the Underworld to help Nico and Bianca find the new symbol of power for her uncle.

Oh joy.

"Why did he even start making that stupid sword?" Thalia grumbled as the trio navigated through the Fields of Asphodel, Thalia watching out of the corner of her eye for Beryl and Jason.

"To control the Doors of Death better," Nico answered, looking around himself.

"The less monsters Grandfather has, the better," Bianca agreed, her pale complex nearly blending in with the shades surrounding them. If not for the intense, near-black eyes, Thalia would've thought she was dealing with one of Uncle Hades' subjects, not his child.

"Wouldn't that give him power over the Pit?" Sephie asked, holding the sunflower in her hand sand watching it with worried face.

"Actually no," Bianca shook her head. "Father is only a warden – he guards the boundaries. Pit itself and things in it are completely out of his reach."

Sephie nodded, obviously pacified with the answer, but Thalia wasn't. If you control the Doors of Death, you could control who and what goes out of Tartarus. She didn't want to think what kind of monsters he could let out if he had that sword.

"Let's just get the thing and be over with it," Thalia grumbled. "Some of us don't like being in the Underworld."

Sephie smirked at her but obediently sped up, following the path the sunflower showed them.

* * *

With the sword back in Hades' hands and Bob the Titan – ehm, Iapetus the Titan – neutralized, Thalia felt completely justified in suggesting McDonalds for the post-quest relaxation spot. Nico instantly jumped on the suggestion, and Sephie caved after a few seconds. Dragging a protesting Bianca with them, the children of Big Three found a joint near the Central Park and sat down to eat.

"So Bia," Sephie asked as she munched on her fries, looking ready to drop any moment, "have you made the decision yet?"

Nico looked a bit sullen at the question, and Bianca fidgeted in her seat.

"Not really," Bianca admitted, playing with her fry and not looking anyone in the eye. "I mean, I said I'd like to do it, but I'm really not sure. Sephie really made me rethink some things." She threw a quick look at Nico, who was trying to glare the holes through the table.

"Take your time," Sephie advised her, popping in another fry before focusing on Thalia. "So, how is it? Running with Artemis all the time."

"It's amazing," Thalia admitted with a proud smile. "I'd never change anything about it."

"And the immortality?" Sephie prodded. "How does the immortality treat you?"

"I don't really think about it as immortality," Thalia shrugged, wiping the crumbs from the corner of her mouth. "I can still die in battle."

"Yes, but otherwise you're practically immortal," Nico said quietly, lifting his gaze from the table. "You'll probably outlive us all."

Thalia gulped and fidgeted in the rickety metal chair. She'd never thought about it in that way.

"Let's first survive this war," Sephie finally said after the silence became unbearably tense. "If we lose, we'll all die."

The four cousins quickly agreed and in no time, the insults became the currency, and Thalia couldn't stop smiling. However, she couldn't get rid of the bad feeling she got whenever she glanced at Sephie. She had acted like everything's fine one time too many not to recognize the fellow actor.

* * *

The last thing Thalia expected in the middle of the February night was to receive the IM from Sephie. Thankfully, it was her shift, so she was wide awake.

"Sephie?" Thalia asked, taking in the bloodshot eyes, bright red cheeks, paleness hiding under the Mediterranean complex and drying tears. "What the Hades happened?"

"I… I had a dream," Sephie whispered, her voice cracking. "K-Grandpa talked to me."

"What the Hades?" Thalia whisper-yelled, trying not to wake any of her sisters. "Why's that creep talking to you in your dreams?"

Sephie gulped at the question, and a bad feeling crawled into Thalia's heart.

"He… can you keep this a secret, Thals?" Sephie practically begged her cousin, and Thalia could only nod dumbly. "Luke and I… he came to me last year, for the Valentine's day. He offered me to run away from all this with him. I almost said yes."

Thalia inhaled, but did not say anything.

"But… we had a fight. Verbal, not with the swords," Sephie quickly inserted the clarification. "I refused to go, and he wasn't happy. He asked me who I loved more – Olympus or him."

Thalia's eyes widened, and the daughter of Zeus uttered a curse under her breath. Damn Luke for doing the same thing he did to her!

"I was furious," Sephie continued, her eyes closed. "He expected me to just trust him, after what he did to me on Othrys. And tonight… Kronos told me I could have Luke for one day, if I come to Othrys in secret."

Thalia now cursed out loud, not caring if anyone heard her.

"Sephie, don't!" The lieutenant said with vehemence. "There's nothing of Luke left in that shell. He's gone."

"He's not gone, Thals," Sephie sobbed, opening her eyes. "His eyes shifted from gold to blue. He's _still inside._ "

"No," Thalia insisted, ignoring the soft twangs of her heart. Luke betrayed her, and deserved none of her sympathy. "Don't be a fool, Persephone Jackson. You're not dealing with Luke Castellan the traitor; you're dealing with the Crooked One, the first kin-killer and the Cannibal King."

"You don't understand, cousin," Sephie shook her head. "I have to. My soul-body connection was damaged again in our battle against Iapetus. Father, Uncle Hades and Apollo can't do anything about this. I _have_ to go. He's the only one who can stop the further damage."

Thalia's windpipe closed up, and for several seconds she couldn't speak, let alone find the words to calm down her cousin and talk her out of her plan.

"Sephie… don't die on me." It was Thalia's turn to beg now, her eyes shimmering. Sephie's eyes watered as well, and she gave her a shaky smile.

"Don't worry. He's not interested in killing me just yet."

"Yet being the key word here," Thalia noted dryly, trying to regain her equilibrium. "Sephie please, don't go."

Sephie shook her head. "I have to, Thalia. I just… I just wanted to tell someone if I don't return."

"You'd better return, you kelp-headed moron," Thalia threatened, aware just how weak the threat sounded.

"No worries Thals," Sephie smiled wearily. "If I don't call you in the next two days, go and talk to Nico or Bianca. They'll help you shadow-travel me out of Othrys."

* * *

Sephie called again exactly two days later, again around midnight. This time, however, Thalia was in the tent, which allowed her a little privacy.

"Hey Sephie – what happened to you?" Thalia asked, flinching away from the IM. Sephie's hair was in total disarray, the light makeup she usually wore was smeared around her eyes and several dark purple marks rested on her neck. She looked a lot healthier though – whatever Kronos did to her helped her in some way.

"Please, don't ask," Sephie sighed. "The guy is completely mad. He confused me with his wife when I arrived at first." She took a few steps back and turned so Thalia could see the yellowish bruises running up her side through the slit in her _peplos_.

"What – did he throw into the boulder?" Thalia gasped in horror, which only multiplied when Sephie said nothing. "Hades, Sephie! You told me you won't die!"

"Obviously, I haven't," Sephie rolled her eyes, covering the bruises. "Besides, I have some important news for you."

"Don't just write this off, Sephie!" Thalia growled. "He -"

"Thalia," Sephie cut her off with a steely look. "Jason."

Thalia froze at the name uttered.

"What?" she whispered, searching Sephie's face for deceit of any kind.

"Jason, your brother," Sephie said again. "I've seen him. He's alive."

Thalia bolted upright, nearly disconnecting the Iris Message.

"What? Where?" Thalia yelled, not caring if anyone would hear her.

"On Othrys. He was doing the air recon of the place when I escaped," Sephie told her. "Flying and all. I asked him what was his name, and he said Jason Grace."

"He's alive," Thalia breathed out, an enormous smile on her face. "Jason's alive. Does he have a small mark on his lip?"

Sephie scrunched her eyebrows, trying to remember. "Yeah, yeah, he does," she said after a few moments. "Is that important?"

"Oh yes," Thalia nodded. "he got that after he tried to eat the stapler."

"You're joking, right?" Sephie gaped before bursting out in laughter. "Stapler? Freaking _stapler?_ "

The two girls dissolved into helpless laughter, and everything suddenly seemed brighter.

 _You're alive, baby brother, and I will find you._


	14. The meaning of loyalty

_**... okay. It's been over two months, and I have no excuse. To be honest, I hit a roadblock with this, and I simply left it and forgot about it... until one of you readers had enough of my procrastination and sent me a PM, all but demanding me to update. I like your guts, Daleo43120! You basically lit the fire under my ass, and I wrote over 2000 words in less than 3 hours, completing this chapter.**_

 _ **I will admit, I struggled with the end. I really did. It's hella choppy, but somehow it fits, so I decided not to nitpick and post it - it's been way too long. I will make no promises for the next chapter, but it will most likely be Hermes/Sephie fluff.**_

 _ **As of this chapter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians arc is officially OVER!**_

* * *

The war had been coming for over three millennia, but it still managed to catch most of the Olympians unprepared. Ares, Athena and Poseidon notwithstanding, the gods of the Fifth Age had become complacent, content with casually governing over their domains and coming down to Earth to sire children they needed to remain powerful.

In other words, Hades thought acerbically as he read over the reports Athena and Nico sent him, they became lazy, fat little shits.

He wasn't even going to feel bad for putting the situation that way. He remembered the sheer chaos of the first Titanomachy, the uncertainty if they would even survive to see the next Helios' chariot rise from the east. The three brothers had not only been generals then – they openly fought at the front lines, protecting their allies and neutrals with their bodies and weapons, not just words and powers. They had the scars that refused to disappear to prove it.

A bolt of pain shot through his left shoulder, and Hades barely managed to retain his grasp on the sword his wife created. The change of expression, unfortunately, did not escape Thanatos' experienced eyes.

"My Lord?" the god of Death inquired, eyes pointedly locked on the offending shoulder. He had been there, and knew exactly where that particular scar came from. Hades grimaced and shook his head, not willing to discuss the injury. Thanatos, however, was not about to let it go.

"My Lord…" he trailed off. "You really should let me look at it."

"It's old injury, Thanatos," Hades glared at his subordinate. "Leave it."

"An old injury that never fully healed, thanks to your sire," Thanatos countered, crossing his arms, black wings quivering in reflection of their owner's displeasure. "You should at least let Lady Hestia try to purge the sands out again."

"No," Hades instantly refused. He did not have the time, and his sister to conserve all the energy she could get to protect their seat of power and her own domain. The Olympians were a messy family, but they were still a family, largely thanks to the oldest Olympian. Hades would not be the one to cause any undue stress to his sister. "I will not risk it. I've managed to endure Gigantomachy with that wound, I'll endure now."

"Even if you come face-to-face with your sire?"

Damn Thanatos for knowing what buttons to press, Hades thought ruefully as the strategist in him agreed with the elder immortal. He was not about to give Kronos any advantages in the battle – the Titan lived by the creed 'give me a millimeter, and I'll take a mile'. Burying his head into his hands, Hades noisily exhaled before composing himself.

"Call Bianca," he told Thanatos. "Thank you for helping me keep the balance of the underworld and Pit."

The winged immortal smirked, checked the I-Phone for any priority souls, and departed with a shallow dip of his head. Lord of the Underworld leaned back into his throne, mentally extending his awareness over his realm to check on everyone, stopping for a second longer to reassure himself of Maria's and Hazel's welfare.

He may be the ruler of the dead, but he had no illusions what would happen to those he loved if he lost.

It was a damn good thing he hated losing.

* * *

The mission had been a disaster from the start to the finish, and the fact the forces of Olympus managed to cut off one of the main supply lines from Mount Othrys to the Eastern Seaboard could not console Hades.

Bianca, his beautiful, cheerful little girl, was _dead._

"Don't you dare!" Sephie had shouted at him when he tried to dismiss her from the throne room after she delivered the news. "Don't you _dare_ shut me out, Uncle!"

The Lord of the Dead had broken there and then. Sobbing in the middle of his throne room, in front of dozens of his subjects, his only living child and his favorite niece, Hades Aidoneus never more wished he was as mortal as his lovers and children were. He sorely wished he was, so he could join them one day in the Underworld, or better yet, die out of grief and join them quickly.

"Father?" Nico whispered, his eyes blotchy and body shaking from the effort of keeping himself upright. "Father?!"

"Uncle, _uncle!_ " Sephie ran up to him, grunting as she caught the sobbing god and broke his fall. "Uncle…"

Hades continued sobbing, tears falling down his cheeks like waterfalls, but managed to find a shred of coherency to stutter out: "Phone… get me Phone…"

"Neeks, get your stepmom here! I don't care if Demeter objects, get her down here ASAP!" Sephie barked out, somehow managing to stand up and support the God of Dead. "I'll take him to the living room!"

Only minutes later, Hades felt the soft leather beneath him as Sephie pushed him down onto the couch in the living room and unapologetically sat next to him, placing her head into his lap. The sight brought another batch of tears to his eyes. Bianca never had such dark hair – the Underworld family liked to joke it was trademark to those residing under the sea– but with her eyes closed and hair strewn in a halo, Hades could almost see Bianca sleeping in his lap.

Giving in to his urges, he stroked the black locks, plastering his dead daughter's face over his niece's in his mind's eye, and tried to pretend this day did not happen. Tried to pretend this mission was a complete success, and Bianca came home so tired, she simply collapsed in her father's arms.

With those images, Hades floated off into Morpheus' realm, exhaustion closing his midnight-colored eyes before his wife arrived.

* * *

The truth hit him hard the next day. The impulsive actions had made complete sense at that moment; in retrospect… he may have gone a bit overboard. Just a smidgen. Not _too_ much. Just a bit.

" _Just a bit?! Just a bit, Hades?!_ " Persephone shrieked a week later, after Hades tried to apologize to her and Demeter for his behavior. "You _locked_ me, Mother, Sephie and Niccolo in here, and didn't allow us to go up! You are so, so lucky Sephie had her hellhound take her out, otherwise _we would have lost more than a dozen of children protecting Olympus, you stupid son of Rhea!_ "

Hades cringed under the merciless verbal assault but made absolutely zero effort to defend himself. He had made a mistake, and he was not afraid to own up to it. The only thing he could do without were Demeter's pointed smirks and cross looks. His wife? Sure, let her light into him. He was not perfect, and criticism of each other's flaws was what brought them closer to each other when he first kidnapped her. His sister-slash-mother-in-law? Not a chance in Tartarus.

"I understand, 'Phone," Hades murmured, still on his knee in front of the two goddesses. "I'm so, so sorry. I did not mean it like that."

"Then how did you mean it, hm?" Persephone was not letting up; four days being cooped up in Underworld's mansion left her in a truly terrible mood. "You just wanted to lock us all up for what, our safety?"

"Yes." He would not apologize for the intentions he had behind the rash order of locking down the Underworld. He had just lost a child to this Creator-forsaken war: no matter what his fellow Olympians thought about him, he valued his family above all. He could've just left them high and dry – the Underworld operated on a different set of rules than both Olympus and Othrys, and he and Iapetus could've hammered out the truce eventually, maybe even shared the rulership over the dreary kingdom.

However, the Underworld deities also highly valued their family connections. Thanatos and his siblings, Morpheus and Hypnos, still often visited their mother in the House on Night, despite the dangers such trip posed even to the elder deities. Iapetus sided with his brother during both Titanomachies, even though he could see they may likely lose. Hades was made out of the same mold as the previous rulers.

"What a _brilliant_ idea, brother," Demeter commented dryly, twirling a piece of vine between her fingers, making it grow without any additional nourishment from the earth. "Close us all down here. If the Olympus falls, you fall as well, as does this place."

"That's where you are wrong, my dear sister," Hades countered. "Underworld have stood long before me, and it will continue to exist long after me. I may lose my connection to the Olympus and their sources of power, but I never relied on the power of sacrifice. Why do you think I never felt the need to sire many children, unlike my brothers?"

Demeter had no reply.

"Besides, that was hardly the subject of our discussion," the Lord of the Underworld sighed, turning to his now silent wife. "Am I forgiven for my absolutely appalling behavior, my dear Persephone?"

The spring goddess stayed silent for a long few minutes, deliberating with herself while Hades knelt, patiently awaiting her verdict.

"Yes, you are," she finally spoke, relaxing into the armchair she had taken before Hades came into the living room to apologize. "However, if you do it _ever again_ …" Hades winced and nodded. He had heard she had gotten close to Athena recently, and if one thing his immortal niece had in abundance, it was ideas how to subtly torture men she was cross with. Her ambiguous relationship with Poseidon was the perfect example-

"Never again," Hades vowed. "I value my skin and sanity a bit too much."

Persephone smirked and motioned for the god to stand up, which he obeyed. "Good. Now, Athena sent me a missive two days ago. She is waiting for you in the study."

Hades nodded and flashed away, reappearing at the door of his study. As Persephone had told him, goddess of Wisdom was already in the room, looking around and inspecting the board Sephie strong-armed him into installing.

 _It will make tracking our enemy's movements easier,_ was Sephie's argument, backed up by Nico and B- _her_ pouts and puppy eyes.

"Nice board, Uncle," Athena commented, analyzing the colorful pins strewn across the map of USA.

"It was Jackson's idea," Hades shrugged, walking up to Athena's side and taking out one of the silver pins near Atlanta. "It does make a nice visual aid. No need to memorize everything."

"And it reveals the patterns we would otherwise miss," Athena murmured with a nod. "For a child of Barnacle Beard, she sure has a good head for strategy."

"Poseidon was our chief strategist in the first War," Hades said a little tartly. Athena had been the head strategist in the Gigantomachy, but it had been a minor skirmish compared to Titanomachy, and Poseidon's ideas had been invaluable. "A bit unconventional one, but he always managed to win us the important fights."

"Did he?" Athena hummed, reaching for the black pin placed on Mount St. Helens and placing at the Washington-Montana boarder.

"Yes." A bolt of fear coursed though Hades' veins, turning ichor in his veins into ice for a second. "Are you sure about this, niece?"

"Hermes and Jackson informed us of this," Athena nodded. "And Hephaestus confirmed."

Hades cursed. Typhoon awakening was not unexpected; this close to the deadline the Great Prophecy had set, though? This had his sire's sticky, golden fingerprints all over it. Only he would be audacious enough to fully awaken the Wrath of Titans before he even landed on the Eastern Seaboard.

"This is _not_ good," he snarled. "He's splitting us up."

"Indeed," Athena nodded. The ploy was dead obvious. "And Father is falling for it – although I have to say, we do not have a lot of choice."

"Of course not," Hades muttered. "If Typhoon reaches Empire State building, there will be no point in fighting for Olympus. King of Othrys has us right where he wants us – between rock and hard place."

"Exactly." Athena fixed the elder Olympian with a passionate, yet focused grey gaze. "But he forgot one key variable, Uncle – _you_."

Hades blinked. Him?

"We suspect there is a spy in the Greek camp," Athena explained, "so Ares and I kept your involvement in the war under the wraps. Your children only work with Jackson, and they are never at the camp, so the spy has the impression -"

"That the Underworld is staying out of this," Hades finished the sentence, the fire igniting in his chest. "He won't see us coming."

Athena's smirk was borderline feral.

* * *

Oh, the expression on his sire's face when Hades split the ground right next to the entrance to Empire State Building and rode out on his chariot, Demeter and Persephone by his side and Nico leading the undead army ahead, was _priceless._

"Hello, _father_ ," Hades couldn't resist sassing the bastard. "You're looking _young_." Hades owed him a whole lot more than just sass, though. He owed him all of Mother's tears, Hestia's and Hera's nightmares, Demeter's and Zeus' tears, and his and Poseidon's sleepless nights, when the six siblings were either crying, tossing around in their sleep or plainly afraid to fall to sleep. He also owed him Bianca's life, Nico's dead eyes and Sephie's crushed heart.

Hades was not stupid, nor ignorant. He _knew_ Sephie had fallen in love with Kronos' host, the Castellan traitor, and he knew how it would end. Lucas Castellan was already dying: the only question was when the process would end, and what would the boy do.

"Hello, _son_. I suppose you and ladies will not be joining me?" It was more than a little strange to see Kronos' cold golden orbs inside the features Hades had learned to associate with Hermes, but he did his best to ignore it as his eyes slid over to Sephie Jackson. The daughter of Poseidon sported no bruises or cuts due to a dip in Styx, but Hades spotted the relief and exhaustion in the lines of her face.

Instead of replying, Hades took out his new weapon, enjoying the momentary shock that flitted over his sire's face, and pointed the sword in Kronos' direction. The skeletons chittered at the unspoken command and obeyed, rushing the motley crew of monsters, minor gods and demigods behind the Titan Lord. Plants went berserk on Demeter and Persephone's command, and with sword still raised, Hades urged his horses at Kronos. He would finish this here, one way or another.

Unfortunately, the bastard was not playing according to the script, and collapsed the barrier that prevented the reinforcements and mortals from coming near the battlefield. Hades snarled when he spotted Sephie still inside the barrier, mere feet away from her grandfather.

 _Destroy him, for Bianca!_ He commanded her mentally, and Sephie set her jaw and nodded. That taken care of, Hades drove into the fight, searching for the nearest idiotic demigod or immortal who would challenge him.

He needed to get the aggression out of his system, and beating up lesser bastards would have to suffice until he got his hands on the main bastard running this shitshow.

* * *

Hades would dearly love to say he and the gods managed to stop the Titan army. That their loyal children had saved their seat of power. That, however, was simply not the true. In the end, the biggest traitor of them all had saved them, killing himself with a dagger their heroine had trusted him with.

Luke Castellan killed himself with a weapon Sephie Jackson handed to him to stop Kronos, and Hades wanted to scream.

His niece had not deserved this. None of the children currently sitting in the throne room, still grimy, dusty and covered in blood, deserved any of this. They went through things most of adult mortals never had: betrayal, doubt in their beliefs and parents, war. Somehow, they managed to survive the whole ordeal more or less intact, at least physically. Hades had no illusions about their mental states, and was dead set on dragging Nico down into Underworld for careful monitoring. Maybe he'll convince Sephie to take Zeus' brat, Thalia, and Athena's girl Annabeth down, too. He'll have a chat with Artemis after this.

But first, to figure out what happened. The last three hours was a mess in Hades' mind: fighting against Titans and monsters, Typhoon approaching before Poseidon suddenly erupted out of the Hudson with his army, rush to the throne room after the barrier fell to find Sephie crying over the lifeless body of Castellan only to be dragged away into Hermes' arms… he needed to know what happened.

Thankfully, Zeus felt the same way, and decided to explain it all for everyone. How Poseidon came to the rescue in the nick of time (here, his little brother winked at Sephie, who blushed spectacularly and hid her face in Hermes' chest) to get rid of Typhoon, and how Nico and Hades were the main ones responsible for surprise attack on the Titan army (he preened here a little). How Luke chose to honor his promise to both Sephie and Annabeth by taking the dagger and stabbing himself into his mortal spot to scatter Kronos, thus fulfilling the Great Prophecy.

 _A half-blood of eldest gods_

 _Shall reach sixteen against all odds;_

 _And see the world in endless sleep,_

 _A hero's soul, cursed soul shall reap;_

 _A single choice shall end his days,_

 _Olympus to preserve or raze._

Sephie, the half-blood, and Luke, the hero. The Fates had been against them from the beginning, no matter what. Luke would've died either way – the only question was, would Sephie trust him enough to make the right choice.

Apparently, she did trust him, and it shattered her completely.

None of the other gods could see it, but Poseidon's eyes were glinting with unshed tears, and Hermes' jaw was tightly set. The Sea Lord could not bear to see his child hurt so badly, and Hades knew Hermes and Sephie found their peace and started a strange friendship after the Battle of Labyrinth.

A crash of thunder drew Hades from his musings back to the happenings in the throne room. The award ceremony was nearly done, with only Sephie's gift left. Hades knew what would be offered for the Heroine of Olympus and the General of the Greek Army – the gift of immortality. For once, he had nothing against it: in fact, he would enjoy the presence of the new goddess. It had been a long time since the pantheon gained a new immortal, and Sephie looked like the right person to break the tradition...

Unless she decided to pull a Perseus.

Which she did.

"I refuse."

The thunderstruck expressions on the faces of his fellow gods had Hades chuckle darkly. He did not discount the possibility she would refuse, and thus was the only one who didn't gape like a

"You… refuse?" Zeus was the first one to regain his senses, sending a nasty look at his older brother. _Why didn't you tell me anything?_ Hades only smirked. _It was only a possibility._

"Yes," the impudent girl wound her arms around herself, "but I will not waste my gift, so I will ask something else of you all."

Hades only shook his head as she pinned them all with their promise on the Styx. Did they honestly expect her to just accept immortality and leave everything she stood for?

Idiots. A bunch of idiots.

* * *

"You certainly know how to surprise us, dear niece," Hades said as an opening when he approached the girl afterwards.

"Don't tell me I managed to surprise you _that_ much," Sephie fired back, leaning back on the balcony railing of the ballroom. "I heard you laugh at their fish-out-of-water expression."

"I had considered the possibility," Hades admitted, leaning next to her and taking a sip of nectar from the chalice before handing it to Sephie. "Want a little?"

Sephie cocked her head, weighting her choices, before shrugging and taking a small sip. She instantly relaxed, shoulders going down and eyelids falling half-mast.

"Like I said, I did consider it, but I still don't know why you did it."

Sephie blinked for a second, thinking about the question.

"What do you mean, why? I thought it was perfectly obvious."

"I know you don't want to leave your family behind." Hades elaborated, remembering the way she spoke of her mortal family and demigod friends. "But you could watch over them as an immortal."

"Watching without interacting would've killed me, sooner or later," Sephie stated matter-of-factly. "I'm not the one for the sidelines, Uncle. I like being in the thick of things way too much."

"And Hermes?" Hades needled, trying to call her out on her bullshit.

"What about Lord Hermes?" She was not giving in that easily, so Hades went for the jugular.

"You like him, in a non-platonic way." She did not refute the statement, so Hades plowed on. "Why didn't you accept the immortality for him?"

Sephie bit her lip and sighed. "I-I couldn't. I made Luke a promise -"

"Stop trying to wriggle out of it," Hades cut her off. "Why?"

"I didn't want to be like Hera, okay?" Sephie hissed. "You gods are flighty, Hermes included. Hell, even you, who can be considered faithful, had cheated a few times. I don't want that to happen to me."

Hades couldn't believe his ears. "So you'd rather hurt Hermes with your death, then share Hermes with someone else?! I didn't think you that selfish, Persephone."

"I wasn't selfish," Sephie snarled and turned on the heel. "I was trying to spare myself the pain of fading when that happened! My flaw is loyalty, Uncle Hades. What happens to loyalty when it breaks?"

With those words, she left the god to ruminate on the balcony and rejoined the festivies, accepting the offer for a dance from the Messenger God with a soft, besotted smile.

 _What happens to loyalty when it breaks?_

Hades had no answer, and frankly?

It scared him.


	15. Sephie - Loving more than one person

**Aloha! Long time no see... at least I didn't pull a two-month pause on you this time, right? :D Anyway, this one is shorter than my usual chappies, but in exchange you get once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the world through the eyes of... drumroll please..**

 **Sephie Jackson herself!**

 **Yup, this chappie is pure Sephie. I decided to challenge myself and write the chapter from her POV. I'd love your feedback on how you liked it, because I have to admit, this wasn't easy. I tried to insert some plot that would (hopefully) open up the space for the plot of HOO, but still keep it light and nice *cough* Hermes/Sephie date *cough*.  
**

 **On with the story!**

* * *

 _Love is complicated_.

That's one of the first lessons little Sephie Jackson had learned while growing up. Her Mom, Sally, was the perfect example of that – she swore up and down she loved Sephie's Dad, yet she married Smelly Gabe. At first, she thought it was just how things worked when one of your parents is lost ( _dead, stupid girlie, your precious Daddy is dead,_ Sephie could still hear Angela Polowski's mocking, way back in the first grade), but that wasn't the case.

So many of her classmates in her numerous schools had complicated situations at home, it wasn't even funny. Stories of cheating, betrayal, domestic abuse, gambling, drinking and so many other skin-crawling things became somewhat of a norm by the time she entered her third school in three years. It seemed that just about every delinquent kid out there had some sort of mess in their families.

However, Sephie was sure her Mom loved her Dad; but just to be sure, she decided to ask the source.

"Mom?" Sephie remembered asking Sally about a year before she learned from her Uncle she was a demigod. "Can you love more than one person? Like, holding hands and kissing?"

Sally stopped washing the dishes, tossing a look at the closed doors of the apartment while biting her lip. Gabe was still out, but he could come back at any moment, Sephie knew that. He was a bit unpredictable on Wednesday evenings.

"Are you referring to your father and Gabriel, sweetie?" Sally asked carefully, looking her daughter in the eye. Sephie nodded, lowering her gaze in shame. She hadn't meant to offend or to upset her Mom – she loved her so much, and she had created enough of problems for her already. "Yes, you can, if you truly love them and know they truly love you. If they can't be with you for forever, they will let you go and you will let them go to find someone who will be there forever."

At times, Sephie had not really understood what her mother meant with that cryptic sentence – she had been not yet twelve, and she never thought about boys in that way before. Years later though, as she watched Luke smile in pain at her, life slowly draining from his eyes as he fulfilled the Prophecy she thought was meant for her, she could finally understand the words that confused her so much before.

You really could love more than one person, but if that love was true, you would be able to let go. And she truly loved Luke, and he loved her too almost as much – he had done so much for her, knowing he would not be able to hold her forever. The moment she refused to join him at Zephyrus Creek, their fates had been sealed.

" _Be happy for me, Seph, okay?_ " were Luke's final words to her. Something in the glint in his eyes told her he somehow knew about her close friendship with his father and approved. " _Don't you dare follow me too quickly._ "

" _I won't,_ " Sephie had recklessly promised on top on her previous promise to get recognition for every demigod child, clutching the trident pendant he took from her all those years ago on Mount Othrys. " _I swear I won't._ "

And she'd rather eat discharge from her Uncle's Master Bolt than break her promises.

* * *

"You looked a bit angry before," Hermes murmured into her ear as he spun her effortlessly on the dance floor, the Strauss' On the lovely blue Danube crooning in their ears. Sephie sighed and followed the god's lead, taking a moment to collect her thoughts.

"I had a talk with Uncle Hades," she finally said as an explanation, and Hermes frowned as he dipped her briefly.

"I thought you were very close?"

"We are," Sephie smiled at Luke's father, and for a first time today she didn't have to put any amount of acting in it. She loved talking about her Uncle, even if they sometimes clashed – but that was natural. They were family, and no family was perfectly harmonious all the time. "He just touched a sensitive subject."

"Luke?" Hermes winced, closing his eyes and tugging Sephie closer, swaying in place. Sephie placed her head on his shoulder and sighed, nodding in confirmation. They had not talked about Luke for over two years, and Sephie refused to discuss it right now. Luke had not been dead for a full day; the wounds they all had were still too fresh. "I see. Oh, your father's coming."

"Is he?" Sephie tilted her head up and to the side to look over Messenger God's shoulder. True to Hermes' words, Poseidon was walking up to them, eyes fixed on Sephie as he flawlessly avoided other partygoers. "I guess I have to say bye for now."

"No worries, Sephie," Hermes shook his head and released from his hold, taking a step back. "I need some time alone anyway. I might as well escape now – if Apollo gets ahold of me, I won't be leaving this room before next sunrise."

Sephie winced in sympathy and hugged him briefly before setting off to intercept her father. Thank the Fates, the party was in a full swing, so immortals mostly ignored Sephie, and the demigods and satyrs were currently on the other side of the room, having their own mini-party. Sephie was the only one currently dancing with gods, and that was only because Hermes and Hades invited her to join in.

"Wait a minute, niece."

Sephie groaned but obediently stopped and turned around to face the King of Gods. To her utter surprise, he had switched gears between the award ceremony and the party: instead of pinstriped suit, he had male version of _chiton_ on, the golden circlet resting on his head.

Moreover, he was holding out his hand out, wordlessly asking her for a dance.

"Uncle Zeus?" Sephie stuttered out, grabbing one hand with the other to stop herself from twirling a loose lock near her face. She was not going to reveal how much her uncle managed to surprise her.

"May I have this dance?" the man asked her politely, but Sephie could see the dangerous glimmer in his eyes. This was not a question, but a demand, and Sephie could not refuse it right now, not without making an unnecessary fuss.

"Of course," Sephie stepped forward, placing her hand in Zeus'. "But I will warn you: Dad was looking for me."

"Oh, don't worry about my brother," Zeus waved the warning away and dragged her closer, leading her into a waltz. "I believe he got a bit… distracted."

Sephie tilted her head questioningly, and Sky Lord spun her so she could see what laid behind her before. A chuckle escaped the daughter of Poseidon; her father was distracted, alright. She would've been too, if she had to lead her rival in a Latino American dance – salsa, was it? She couldn't really find it in herself to be surprised by their skill: they had had three millennia to get good at dancing.

"Nice distraction," she complimented with a small laugh, but she still refused to relax completely in her Uncle's hold. "Do I want to know how you got Lady Athena to agree to this?"

"I don't believe so, no," Zeus chuckled before sobering up, rainy grey eyes brightening to electric blue Sephie had only ever seen in Thalia and Jason. Oh there were good knock-off she spotted in the mortal world, but nothing could compare to the eyes of the divinities. "I heard you've met Jason Grace."

"What about it?" Sephie asked, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable. Something about the statement was just rubbing her the wrong way. It wasn't anything particularly threatening, but it was quite unnerving in its mystery. Sephie only liked mysteries if she could solve them: otherwise they just made her stomach uneasy and skin crawl.

"You would do well to keep your mouth shut about it," Zeus warned her, the deadly edge to the otherwise flat words. "I have no idea how you two managed to run into each other, but thankfully the barrier endured, so you haven't done anything dangerous."

"What barrier? What are you talking about, Uncle?" Sephie fixed her gaze on god's flashing ones, hoping she managed to portray her annoyance and thirst for knowledge. What was her uncle not telling her?

Zeus blinked for a second, eyes switching between grey and blue before they fixed on the grey she was used to seeing. "You understood me?"

"Seriously, Uncle, what's going on? Of course I understood you," Sephie huffed as the song around them died and they slowed to a stop. "You were talking English, you know? Now excuse me, I need to talk with Dad." She turned to leave, but the strong hand closed around her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

"Persephone Jackson," Zeus said her full name, and Sephie would've thrown a fuss about it, but the god looked deadly serious. "Swear on River Styx you will not speak about Jason Grace to anyone mortal."

Sephie bit her lip. "I already told Thalia."

"Hunters are exempted – they are partially immortal. Swear it!" Now there was a faint hint of madness in the King's eyes, and Sephie went along with his request, swearing on Styx before freeing herself to find her father. She could not forget about the weird feeling she got from her Uncle when Jason Grace entered the conversation.

 _I'll figure it out later._

* * *

The first two weeks after the Battle of Manhattan felt surreal to the newly minted Heroine of Olympus. The Mist did such wonders to cover up the mess demigods and Kronos' army created in Manhattan from the mortal eyes, but it did absolutely nothing to the world of Greek mythology. Suddenly, Sephie found herself visited by quite a number of people, mostly minor gods and friendlier Cyclopes, who all wanted her attention for only a moment. Frankly, it quickly became boring and exhausting, and she was not afraid of calling in some favors. The way she saw it, Olympus owed her quite a bit for saving their asses.

"Hey, Sephie," Hermes grinned at her from his perch on her windowsill. "You called a favor?"

"Hey Hermes, and yeah," Sephie sighed, walking up to the god and hugging him. "Have some time to spare in your schedule?"

"As a matter of fact, yup. Something in mind?" Hermes tilted his head, and Sephie bit her lip before she could slip up and call him by his son's name. In her defense, the similarity was just ridiculous.

"Can you get us to Montauk?"

"Montauk?" Hermes furrowed his eyebrows but jumped off the windowsill, laying Sephie's head on his chest. "No problem. Why?"

"I'll explain it there," Sephie said, closing her eye in preparation for the teleportation.

"Eyes closed?" Hermes waited for the confirming nod. "Kay. You can open them now!"

Sephie didn't need the memo: her nose instantly told her she was at the familiar beach she had spent so many summers on, roasting marshmallows with her Mom, stargazing and daydreaming about her Dad. Rushing off, she ran down the beach to the rental cabin, but instead of heading for it, she ran straight into the ocean. Nothing could calm her down like being in her father's domain, and she planned to take full advantage of it.

"C'mon, Hermes!" she called over the screeching of seagulls and crashing of the waves. "Get in the water!"

"It's cold, Sephie!" Hermes tried to wriggle out of her invitation, but Sephie was not budging.

"Not while I'm around. And don't bring in Dad," she intercepted the objection before it could leave the god's mouth. "You're with me – he won't do anything if you step in here."

Hermes hesitated for a long minute before shrugging and running up to the demigoddess, wading into the shallows after her until he stood directly behind her.

"You know, this is where Mum met Dad," Sephie smiled, watching as the moon peeked from under the horizon and feeling the Messenger God shelter her from the setting sun's harsh rays. "Cliché as it sounds, we always returned here in summer. A few days, a week – it was a break from the mortal world." She turned to Hermes, feeling her entire body relax at the halo Apollo's chariot created around her companion. "Before the camp, this was the only place I felt like any other girl out there."

Hermes' eyes widened at the confession, and he went in for a hug. Sephie gladly accepted it, clutching him tightly.

"Thank you for telling me," Hermes murmured into her ear, carding one of his hands through her messy raven ringlets. "Thank you for trusting me."

Sephie chuckled, the sound muffled by Hermes' shirt. She had no idea why she opened to him, but she was glad she had done it in front of him. The last time she opened to someone… well, she wa trying not to think too much about Luke nowadays.

Suddenly, the sky above her darkened, and the next thing Sephie knew, Hermes was thrown over a foot away from her, coughing, sputtering and utterly drenched in seawater.

"What the hell, Uncle P!" Hermes shouted, flicking away seaweed that managed to find its way into his hair and his suit. "What did I do to you?"

"Why so salty, Dad?" Sephie couldn't resist tossing out the pun as she glided through the restless waters, closing her eyes and laying her hand on Hermes' shoulder t dry him off. "Can't I have a friend?"

The sea gurgled and swished around her feet, relaying her father's thoughts about her rhetorical question, and Sephie snickered, shaking her head. When will her Dad stop being so overprotective of her? Tyson, the Naiads… honestly, she was afraid he had some way of tracking her on land.

"Really, Dad…" she trailed off, spotting a tiny bit of seaweed stuck just above Hermes' ear. "Let me." She reached for the offender, craning her neck to get a good look at t as she removed it. Tossing the seaweed aside, she finally looked Hermes in the eye and realized just how close they were standing to each other.

"You know, your Dad has been doing this for the last few years whenever you came up in the conversation," Hermes chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What, blasting people with sea water?" Sephie snorted. Her Dad could be so extra sometimes.

"Yeah. Usually he does it with Arctic Sea water though, not seaweed-filled one," Hermes shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know what's worse – freezing, or feeling slimy, sticky weeds all over yourself."

"Aw, poor Hermes," Sephie teased a bit, but her smile gave her away. "Need someone to kiss away your boo-boos?"

Hermes blushed for some inexplicable reason. Sephie blinked in surprise before the implications of her sentence caught up with her, and she groaned, her palm colliding with her face.

"Shit! Sorry Hermes, I didn't mean it like that-"

"I wouldn't mind it," Hermes interrupted her, eyes darting everywhere, and now it was Sephie's turn to blush like a tomato. Dear Olympus, was this how Hermes scored most of his dates? Acting all awkward and schoolboy-ish with them?

"Stupid god," Sephie huffed, and in one smooth motion tugged him to her, sealing their lips together and weaving her hands into Hermes' salt-and-pepper hair.

How in the universe did she manage to find two biggest idiots on the Eastern Seaboard and fall in love with them? She was tempted to blame the Fates, but that would lead she exactly nowhere. Better to just relax and enjoy the moment.


	16. Jason - Settling old scores

**Two months... again. This time I've got a legit excuse, though - my exams are going a bit... poorly, I admit, so I didn't write a lot. But I managed to finish this one: hopefully it'll be enough to satisfy you guys!**

 **Setting up an opening for HOO... Jason Grace!**

* * *

 _Come home._

Jason opened his eyes, a gasp trapped in his throat. He had dreamed about that girl again: this time, her hair was much shorter and spikier, but the electric blue eyes he knew only from his own reflection stayed the same. And just like every time before, she had told him to come home.

"I am home," he said aloud, in the pale predawn light.

The sentence was left hanging in the mid-air, and the newly appointed Praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata shivered at the ominous feeling it left. Why did he suddenly feel like a liar, or like a child closing his eyes in front of the larger truth? Why couldn't Fates give him a break?

"Damn you, Sephie Jackson," he cursed out loud and got out of the bed, unable to sleep anymore.

He had never questioned himself or his origins before he had met that demigoddess – for what else could she had been? She had a relatively normal mortal surname and was running away from the Mount Othrys; ergo, a demigoddess. He had hoped to see her at the Camp, but she never appeared, leaving him with the terrifying dreams that made him question everything he knew about himself.

He was Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, and the only child of that god lucky enough to have Juno as his patron. That should've been enough for him.

"Damn you," he repeated, trying to vent his frustration.

Needless to say, he failed spectacularly. He had no idea why, but curiosity was all but ingrained into demigods' blood, and he would not rest well until he got the answers he needed.

Thankfully, he knew who to ask for such information, even if he detested the guy.

Yes, he'll endure the slimy bastard's questions if it meant getting Sephie Jackson out of his head.

* * *

"Sephie Jackson?" Octavian hummed, picking up one of the teddy bear plushies littering the floor of the temple of Jupiter. Twirling the ceremonial dagger in his hand, he approached Jason and pushed the bear into Jason's hands. "Picture her as closely as you can."

Jason did as instructed, closing his eyes and imagining Sephie in as much detail as he could recall: the wild black locks that cascaded down her back, the ruffled white Greek dress, blazing sea-green eyes that seemed almost cracked in hindsight -

"Okay, that's good," Octavian snatched the teddy out of Jason's hands.

Jason used the time Octavian took to prepare his blade and the teddy for the reading to collect himself and analyze the situation as much as he could. Apparently, he managed to miss quite a few things while trying to forget the girl.

He took a deep breath and dove into the memory of the night.

 _The recon missions were usually done by the veterans, people who had spent most of their service in espionage and reconnaissance. This time, however, Romans could not rely on them – they needed someone agile, able to see a lot and run away very fast. Mercury children were ideal for the role, but they had returned from the assignment empty-handed._

 _"We need air recon," Sasha, the leader of the mission, reported to Julian and Cassandra from the infirmary bed, grimacing in pain as the healers did their work._

 _Her right leg was broken in no less than twelve places, the souvenir of the fight she had with one of the elder Titans – Hyperion. The healers and her family praised the gods for that: the brilliant Titan was Saturn's brother, and while cruel, he did not seem too interested in finishing her off, which allowed her siblings to save her._

 _At first, Cassandra, the female praetor and daughter of Trivia, hadn't wanted to hear about sending Jason out for the recon. Julian, son of Apollo and the male praetor, backed her up without reservations, and argued fiercely for recruiting nature spirits and/or sending someone undercover._

 _Once the information reached the Senate, though, the decision was taken out of the praetors' hands: Jason was flying out a week later, despite Cassandra's and Julian's heavy objections. Jason could understand their fear: Jupiter was not the most caring of gods, but Juno's temper was unpredictable at best. If something happened to him, her unofficial charge, who knew what kind of reaction the Queen of Gods would have._

 _Unfortunately, personal feelings had no place in the matters of war in Camp Jupiter: Jason was the only one who could fly for extended periods of time and was long enough in the Camp to be trusted with sensitive information. So, for the sake of the mission, he gritted his teeth, saluted the Praetors and his friends from Fifth Cohort who came to see him off, and flew off to Mount Tamalpais._

 _Arriving at the base of the mountain, son of Jupiter opted to walk to the entrance – it wouldn't do to exhaust himself and fall in the middle of recon and alert the Titan camp of his presence. The trek took a few hours, heavily punctuated by Jason's swears as he tripped over small rocks, but at the sundown he arrived at the Garden of Hesperides._

 _"Finally!" Jason grumbled, allowing the winds to lift him up and above the Garden, from where he could see the seat of Titans' power._

 _"Dear gods, we're screwed," escaped from his lips._

 _Sasha's report of the fortress reforming in front of her eyes had been a massive understatement: Jason could still see some places that were under the construction, but for the most part, the obsidian palace was complete. He didn't know why or how, but something sped up the reformation._

 _"This is bad," Jason growled to himself, letting the winds take him a bit closer and lower, so he could see things clearly._

 _Monsters of all types were crawling on the grounds, and the traitor demigods mingled between them. Most of them behaved like typical soldiers, but Jason spotted a few monsters and a demigod that seemed to command some sort of rank – everyone steered clear of them, eyes glinting with either jealousy or deference._

 _Storing them in his memory, Jason reached out with his hand to summon winds to fly away, when –_

 _"Hey you! Get up or someone'll see you!"_

 _Jason started and looked down. The unnaturally bright green eyes set in the tanned skin glared daggers at him from behind one of the boulders._

 _"W-what?"_

 _"I said, fly up or someone'll see you, stupid!"_

 _"And why should I trust an enemy?" Jason retorted hotly, flying a little lower so he could see the girl he was talking to._

 _At the time, he was more astounded by her eyes and drew conclusions far too hastily; in retrospective, her dress and overall appearance should've told him she was not an ally of Titans. The Grecian-style white dress was dirty, showing holes in some places. Her hair was done in a haphazard bun, held by a dagger, and her arms and face were littered with tiny cuts and bruises._

 _"An enemy? Please," the girl snorted, moving from behind the boulder and closer to the garden of Hesperides. "These guys killed too many of my friends for me to ever ally with them."_

 _Jason froze mid-air. If she was telling the truth – and she had absolutely no reason to lie – that would mean…_

 _"Now fly away, Superman, before they spot us both and drag us in. Again." The girl slipped through the garden while he wasn't watching. "I'm on a time-limit, and if you're the reason they spot me, I will murder you, demigod or no."_

 _"O-okay," Jason murmured, still in the thrall of the shock. "W-wait, what's your name?!"_

 _The girl stopped and whirled around to look him straight in the eye._

 _"Why do you want to know that, Superman?"_

 _"That's not my name - it's Jason Grace," Jason corrected her automatically, used to younger campers' similar comments. "And I want to know so I can vouch for you when you come to Camp Jupiter."_

 _"Vouch…" the girl muttered, crossing her arms. "I guess with the war, you never know who the spy is… Okay. I'm Sephie Jackson."_

 _Jason sighed in relief. Now that he knew, she would need to say his name and she won't be harassed by the First and Second Cohort._

 _"Okay. When you come, just say my name and they'll let you through!"_

"I have something."

Octavian's voice tore Jason out of the memory, refocusing him on the real world.

"What?"

"Where this person is right now."

The legacy of Apollo extended the teddy, showing Jason the blue-green design in the stuffing.

"Golden Gate Bridge?" Jason frowned at the image.

The design was impossible to confuse with some other landmark: even done in hues of blue and green, it was easy to recognize. The problem was, of course, Jason's status as Praetor. He could not simply run off and leave Reyna to manage all alone. It would be highly irresponsible of him, and the reason was certainly not good enough to break the rules.

However…

Something nagged at him. Something about those green eyes called to him and his blood. He wouldn't call it enmity – after facing Krios, he had hard time finding someone deserving of being called his enemy – but it burned, demanded him to face her and get answers out of her, whatever way he could.

He will have to do it.

"Thank you, Octavian."

"You're not planning to leave just like that, are you Praetor?" The blonde legacy hummed, twirling the ceremonial dagger in his hands.

Jason became deathly still. While the dagger had not been used on humans in the longest time, the fact remained it was sharp enough to hurt both demigods and monsters. Octavian had never been particularly good in combat, but his throwing skills and archery more than made up for it.

When paired with his status of Augur and the seamless way he manipulated everyone around him, Octavian became very definition of the manipulative asshole who could back up his threats on both personal and impersonal level.

In other words, if he wasn't careful, Jason would be screwed.

"Of course not," son of Jupiter said with finality. "I would never do such a thing. I value my continued existence."

"Ah, Reyna?" Octavian smirked, blue eyes flashing with easily recognizable malice. "She holds you on quite a short leash, does she not?"

Jason had no proper rebuttal for that; it was the truth, after all.

"You say like that's a bad thing."

"I don't know," Octavian shrugged, the picture of innocence as he turned back to the pile of teddies. "I'm merely saying. The rules are there for a good reason, Praetor."

"Naturally," Jason agreed with a frown. "And I will obey them at all times unless they interfere with direct survival of the Legion."

"That's good to know," Octavian took a step back and turned on his heel. "Now, if you will excuse me, Praetor Jason. I still have morning rituals that need to be observed."

* * *

In the end, Jason managed to talk Reyna into giving him a few hours to search for the elusive Sephie Jackson. It did cost him extra paperwork and inspections, but since had expected a flat-out no from his co-Praetor, this was almost an ideal scenario.

Commanding winds to take him up high to reduce the Mist warping around him, he flew to the Golden Gate Bridge, waiting for the fog to lift from the sea level for him to land on the North Tower. From there, he had a perfect view of the bridge and those on it.

"I didn't know Praetors had time for casual sight-seeing, boy."

Jason froze at the sharp comment and spun around, dropping on his knee as he registered just who had spoken.

"Lord Mercury."

The patron God of Messengers huffed, tapping with the caduceus, which made son of Jupiter tense up involuntarily.

"Relax boy," the god ordered not even looking at the demigod. "I have my own errands to run here today, and since I do not see panic in the Camp Jupiter, I will let it slide by."

Jason sighed in relief and bowed deeply, calling for the winds to separate his soles from the cast metal of Golden Gate Bridge. Really, he'd better find the elusive demigoddess – he'd jumped too many hoops so far to return home empty-handed.

Wait.

"Lord Mercury?" Jason called, the bud of the craziest idea he'd had up to date quickly blossoming in his mind. "May I ask a favor of you?"

"A favor?"

"Yes," Jason scratched the back of his neck. "Can you show me the shortest way to my destination if the destination is the person?"

Mercury frowned for a moment, twirling the caduceus between his fingers.

"Theoretically, if the person is not too far away," the god said slowly, blue eyes blazing as they focused on the blond demigod, "and if you have some connection to them, I could lead you to them…"

"I'll do anything," Jason promised without a moment of hesitation. He knew it was far too reckless – once he gave his word, he could not take it back, and gods loved to mess with mortals – but he had to do it. He had to see her just one more time, if only to settle everything.

"Anything?"

Surprisingly, Lord Mercury gave him a chance to get out of it. He could not take it, however. He had to settle this _now_.

"Yes, anything."

"Very well," the god sighed, closing his eyes and tapping the caduceus to the metal. "Who am I searching for?"

"Sephie Jackson."

* * *

Mercury could not believe his ears, Hermes screaming in the back of his mind. Had that boy just said what he thought he said? How in the world did the son of Jupiter and daughter of Poseidon made contact? The feelers fed to Olympus via Dionysus and Chiron did not reveal anything –

Wait.

Jupiter did look rather nervous at the celebration for Greek heroes, and Apollo told him he had a dance with Sephie. Was that when…?

He stopped himself before the mind-shattering headache could worsen and reflect on his appearance – it wouldn't do to show himself as his less stern, Greek version in front of Roman demigod.

"Fine," Mercury nodded, sending out a tendril of power to search for the all too familiar signature of his Greek side's lover. "But I will collect my favor immediately."

Jason tensed up beside him.

" _Never speak of Persephone Jackson again to anyone,_ " the two sides spoke at the same time, the mix of Mercury's deeper baritone mixing with Hermes' lighter tenor enough to frighten even the most fearless.

"I will not," Jason promised with a smile and exhale. "I will never contact her again, I swear. I just need to settle the old scores."

Mercury only shook his head: the boy did not know what kind of effect that blasted girl had on people she met. She charmed Saturn's host into tricking the old codger, for Creator's sake! Who knew what kind of thing the wily Greek girl could talk Praetor into if they remained in contact? The worst thing, of course, was Persephone's utter obliviousness to her charm.

"I shall hold you to that, boy. She's at the café on the other side of the bridge."

"Thank you!"

And with those words, son of Jupiter jumped off the tower, winds carrying him to the café where Persephone was supposed to meet Hermes in fifteen minutes.

Mercury groaned and rubbed his forehead. How was he going to explain this to his father and Persephone?

* * *

Jason took off at the speed of bullet the moment he got a confirmed location from Lord Mercury, inwardly thanking Fates for the break they gave him – the god did not ask for much, comparatively speaking. He had gambled – taken a risk that was probably unnecessary in hindsight – but he had gotten off lightly _and_ had what he needed: Sephie Jackson's location.

The café the god pointed him to was not difficult to find, nor was Sephie Jackson. That wavy black hair was easy to spot, even in the throng of tourists and locals milling around. With air advantage, he reached her in matter of seconds and landed right in front of her, trusting the Mist to cover up this incident.

"Sephie Jackson?"

"Jason Grace," the girl blinked before tilting her head skyward and grimacing slightly. "You really shouldn't be talking to me."

"Yeah I know, but I need to talk with you for a mo'," Jason followed her as she tried to back away. "Please, it's important."

Sephie stopped, hand twitching to the hair clip in her hair before relaxing at her side. Jason eyeballed the little accessory with wary eyes – was it her weapon? He had to give her props: it was pretty and inconspicuous way to hide the weapon without taxing the Mist.

"Okay, but be quick. I have a date, and I don't want to become a French fry because of your dad," she grumbled as she led him inside the café and ordered a simple latte. Jason asked for water, and the pair descended into uneasy silence as they waited for their orders to come.

"What's so important you needed to talk to me, Jason Grace?" Sephie asked the moment their waiter left them alone with the drinks.

"Why didn't you come to the Camp Jupiter?" Jason countered with a question of his own.

Sephie bit her lip.

"Pass," she said finally. "I swore an oath to Styx to your dad. I break it, and I'm dead."

Jason cursed internally. He wanted answers, but he won't be able to get them if Sephie died!

"Okay. Who's your godly parent?"

"Poseidon," the answer came instantaneously, a proud smile on her face as she glanced at the choppy waves in the San Francisco Bay.

"Poseidon? Don't you mean Neptune?" Jason was completely confused now. Why was she using the Greek names?

"Nope, it's Poseidon. He said that himself," Sephie shrugged. "Neptune… isn't that Roman? Essentially the same god, but under a different name?"

"Wait, wait. He said it himself?" Jason's mind was short-circuiting. Did she juts imply…? Had she…?

"Uh, _duh_." Sephie looked at him with a frown. "Met your dad too – all of the Olympians, in fact. I _was_ at Olympus about a month ago. So Uncle Z didn't visit you at all? Can't say I'm surprised – with the prophecy and Hera being Hera…"

"You met with the gods," Jason repeated weakly, trying to wrap his head around the fact. She, a daughter of Neptune, met the gods while he never even saw his father or his patron – Lord Mercury was his first contact with the Olympians. How was this fair?

"Yes, she did," a woman's voice said from behind, disapproval heavy in her voice. "And she should not have talked about it."

Jason turned sharply in his chair and promptly lost all the color in his face.

 _Juno._

"Do I look like I care, Hera?" Sephie crossed her arms. "He's a demigod like me. He has the right to know."

"No, he isn't and no, he doesn't," Juno countered. "And it's Juno, my dear. While I deal with you… good night, my hero."

 _Good-?_

The world turned to black.


	17. Final notice

**The final notice:**

 **Okay. I really don't have a lot of time to write right now, so I decided to put you guys out of misery and appease my own conscience. This story is officially over. Done. The HOO part of Sephie's story (which I'm still planning on doing!) will come out later - I cannot promise when, but I'll give my best. Also, a fair warning: I will go wild at some points in HOO, because I really don't like some of the things Rick wrote. Sue me, this is fanfiction.**

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 **Here's the working(!) summary:**

 _ **Jason wakes up on a bus, with no memories... but if that's the truth, then why can he recall blazing green eyes?**_

 _ **Sephie doesn't know who she is... but she knows that she hates Hazel's golden eyes and loves Octavian's blues - and she hates herself for it.**_

 _ **Gaea may be the main threat to both Romans and Greeks, but the secrets Juno locked away in Jason's and Sephie's heads may be even more dangerous: they could start another Trojan War between demigods after all.**_

 _ **And the gods? They're trying to search for their Sea Princess without Zeus/Jupiter noticing and battling their schizophrenia at the same time. Their success rate? Zero.**_


	18. Sequel notice!

**Hello my lovelies!**

 **I know I said no fixed dates (considering I don't have a lot of time this summer, and there are some other RL stuff occupying me), but I managed to catch one day free in my schedule to type up the first chapter of the sequel. The best I can promise you is one chapter a month, but if you stuck with Sephie and me this far, I hope you'll forgive me for the wait.**

 **The sequel, Heroine of Silver Age is now officially up! It picks up right off the last chapter in this fic (Ch. 16) and dives straight into Lost Hero storyline. Enjoy!**

 **Edit: I changed the name last-minute! Sorry!**


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